Injecting passion into healthcare: Nilesh Shah

For Nilesh Shah, the healthcare industry is much more than a career that has seen him rise to the top as Vice President and General Manager for West Pharmaceutical Services’ Asia–Pacific and South America. It’s a lifelong passion and a deeply personal journey that has profoundly impacted both his outlook and his family.

"My very first job after graduating with my master’s degree in engineering was in a small medical devices company making pressure transducers, intravenous sets and insulin pumps," he tells The CEO Magazine.

"I’ve remained in the sector ever since. What we do here is very special, working together with our customers to improve patients’ lives around the world every day."

The past 23 years have taken him from the United States to Germany and eventually Singapore, through senior roles with Johnson & Johnson, GE Healthcare, Advanced Sterilization Products and Drager. He joined West Pharmaceutical Services, a leading global designer and manufacturer of advanced containment and delivery systems for injectable medicines in 2023.

It was while he was at GE Healthcare that the vital role healthcare technology can play was brought home to him in a deeply personal way.

"Both my parents have experienced health challenges throughout their lives. There was a time when my father would have died within 24 hours if he hadn’t received critical treatment," he recalls.

"Those experiences had such an impact on my family and really brought home that the work I do has an impact on the world. It instilled a passion to give back and make lives better, particularly in emerging communities in Asia–Pacific and South America."

Giving patients independence

Both regions are among the fastest-growing markets for West Pharmaceutical Services, which produces components for a rapidly growing self-injection industry. This industry is expected to nearly double in value to US$10.7 billion within a decade, according to market research and consulting firm Spherical Insights.

Pre-filled syringes and pen injectors are used to treat chronic diseases such as multiple sclerosis, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and hormone deficiencies, giving patients more independence and better access to medicines.

One such device holds a special significance for Shah himself.

"I’ve been wearing a glucose monitoring device for three years and it has changed my life," he reveals. "All these wearable or self-administered medicines let patients take control of their healthcare rather than relying on a physician or a hospital.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has definitely sped up the adoption of new processes and changed the whole landscape, and it aligns perfectly with our ongoing commitment to enabling device and drug delivery solutions for our customers and their patients across the globe. It’s a huge honor that we can play a part in making that happen."

According to Shah, those patients are not just restricted to emerging markets.

"We’ve seen a global shift in how patients are treated, and a move away from a reliance on hospitals to home-based care and injectable medicine," Shah says.

"There’s a huge shortage of critical drugs in the United States and other developed countries, and it’s places like India, South Korea and China that will ultimately supply them in huge volumes. So, we’re not only having an impact on patients in emerging markets, but also in North America and Europe.

"We continue to have a high participation rate in injectable drugs used in the treatment of diabetes, as well as in the growing areas of obesity and other metabolic disorders, where GLP-1s are proving to be a highly effective treatment for many with these chronic conditions."

Investing in technologies and partnerships

One critical area for West Pharmaceutical Services is the adoption of the latest technologies. A survey of business leaders by Twilio revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic had sped up digitalization by an average of six years, and it is transforming the pharmaceutical industry by boosting efficiencies, expediting drug testing, unleashing powerful patient data analytics and allowing greater visibility across supply chains.

"Our vision is to improve healthcare by helping to make safe, easy and effective delivery systems," Shah reveals. "To that end, we’ve invested heavily and actively in technologies and partnerships to look at advanced solutions that benefit patients and support providers.

"We’re introducing more digitization to our production lines. We have what we call a high-value product plant here in Singapore involving increased capacity, local manufacturing, warehousing and customer support with scalable supply chains to meet the rising demand in emerging markets."

To Shah, collaborations are also key to accelerating the development of new healthcare innovations.

In 2022, West Pharmaceutical Services announced an exclusive supply and technology agreement with Corning to work together on the next generation of integrated packaging and delivery innovations.

"In 2023 we also celebrated 50 years of partnership with Daikyo for elastomer solutions. This is a symbiotic relationship that continues to grow and strengthen, leveraging our extensive scientific and manufacturing capabilities to bring great value to our customers and, ultimately, patients."

With over a century of history, West Pharmaceutical Services’ success is a testament to the passion and dedication of individuals like Shah. With an unwavering commitment to innovation and partnerships, the company continues to lead the way in transforming drug containment and delivery solutions, enabling a future where groundbreaking therapies can improve patients’ lives more safely, conveniently and effectively.