Finished products

The sector is characterised by a huge and diverse range of finished products.

ECHAMP member companies market 1.5 million distinct finished products; companies with the widest ranges may have 350,000 distinct finished products in their portfolio or more. This extreme variety of finished products is due to the wide range of starting materials, potencies and dosage forms needed to serve the therapeutic needs of the sector.

An estimated 100 million units of finished products are produced for EU markets each year.

The sector is characterised by a multitude of finished medicinal products of smallest batch sizes. It is common for producers to release over 30 batches a day, with the larger manufacturers releasing nearly 300 batches a day. Even a small or medium-sized company may typically release up to 70 batches a day. A typical batch size for non-profitable products is between 50 and 100 units.

In addition, 25% of ECHAMP’s members supply products on demand for individual patients in individual batches. ECHAMP’s analysis shows that at least 7% of all finished products are produced on demand for individual patients.