The full name of API in pharma is Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient. It is an important part of the pharmaceutical industry and refers to chemical or biological substances used to manufacture medicines, usually the active ingredients in pharmaceutical preparations. APIs are the core and foundation of drug manufacturing, and their quality is directly related to the quality and curative effect of final drugs.

The source of APIs in the pharmaceutical can be natural products or chemical synthesis. Natural products include plants, animals, and microorganisms.  Chemically synthesized raw materials are obtained through the artificial synthesis of chemical substances, such as vitamin C raw materials are obtained through artificial synthesis.

The manufacture of APIs needs to follow a series of quality standards and regulations to ensure their quality and purity. Pharmaceutical companies need to carry out the procurement, storage, transportation, testing, and quality control of APIs to ensure the safety and effectiveness of APIs. Among them, the detection of APIs is a very important part, which usually needs to be detected and analyzed by various analytical techniques such as high-performance liquid chromatography, gas chromatography, and nuclear magnetic resonance.

The supply chain of API in pharma is also an important part in pharmaceutical manufacturing. In today's globalization, the procurement and supply of APIs have gone beyond national borders and involve many countries and regions. Some countries have become major producers of APIs due to low labor costs and loose environmental regulations, while others have become major consumers of APIs.

First of all, the quality of APIs has a crucial impact on the quality and efficacy of drugs. Only by using high-quality raw materials can we produce medicines with stable quality and significant efficacy. Therefore, it is very important to choose a high-quality API supplier.

Second, the R&D and production of APIs are critical to drug innovation. The research and development of pharmaceuticals requires a lot of time and resources and high-quality APIs are an indispensable part of the research and development process. Only with high-quality raw materials can we launch more competitive drugs.

In addition, the reliable supply of APIs is also one of the focuses of pharmaceutical companies. The production of pharmaceuticals requires a large number of APIs, and a stable supply chain is an important guarantee for pharmaceutical companies to stabilize production and improve efficiency. Having a reliable API supplier can reduce the risk and cost of the enterprise and improve its competitiveness of the enterprise.

However, APIs also have some problems and challenges. One of them is the price volatility and supply instability of APIs. Due to the long supply chain of raw materials and complex links, the price and supply are affected by various factors, such as market demand, policy changes, weather, natural disasters, etc., so the price and supply fluctuate greatly. In addition, the production process of some raw materials may involve environmental pollution and energy consumption, which requires pharmaceutical companies and the government to strengthen management and supervision.