Novartis exec says COVID exposed pharma manufacturing weaknesses. Here's how he plans to fix them

The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged companies in all industries, but by and large the pharmaceutical supply chain has held up. Now, more than a year into the crisis, Novartis' top supply chain exec Steffen Lang recently reflected on what went well—and what the future of pharma manufacturing might look like.

Since the start of last year, Lang said he's seen colleagues go "above and beyond" to ensure the company can produce the drugs patients need. Lang manages a network of more than 50 manufacturing sites around the globe, which produce everything from solid dose generics to individualized cell and gene therapies.