What can you expect from CPHI Milan 2024?

CPHI Milan 2024 marks the 35th anniversary of CPHI. The 35th Edition of the show, taking place 8–10 October, promises to be a celebration of everything pharma, covering every sector, and featuring thought leaders and trailblazers shaking up the industry. 

CPHI has worked to bring the pharmaceutical industry together over the last 35 years, and the worldwide event held in Milan this year will continue to unite all corners of the pharma domain, featuring 2,400 exhibitors, 62,000 attendees, representation from over 166 countries, and content from 150 expert speakers. 

The event offers attendees the opportunity to meet with existing and potential partners, discover new solutions for their businesses, and be inspired by the original thinking of pharma innovators, big or small. 

James Reidy, Senior Conference Producer, Pharma, comments on the much anticipated CPHI showcase: 

“CPHI Milan promises to be one of the most exciting editions yet. With over 150 thought leaders present, CPHI Milan will offer three action-packed days covering the latest trends and developments across the supply chain. From emerging technologies in R&D and manufacturing to fundamental supply chain and sustainability initiatives, don't miss the chance to join us at the heart of pharma.” 

Sustainability at CPHI Milan and year round

Sustainability is held at the core of the event, and in mind year round. CPHI has developed three main aims around sustainability, as follows:

1.    Running an environmentally responsible event
2.    Running a socially responsible event
3.    Inspiring sustainable development

To achieve these the event works with suppliers and partners whose sustainability values are in parallel with our own. The event is run with 100% renewable energy, sustainable travel choices are promoted and encouraged around the events, and celebration of initiatives and achievements with The Sustainability Award are just a few of the ways these aims are manifested. 

Conference tracks

Another aspect of the event that CPHI is passionate about is encouraging progress in the industry through sharing of knowledge and encouraging conversations around the important topics, to incite creativity. By featuring extensive content offerings in the conference tracks a platform is given to thought leaders and experts to educate others in the field. This year the conference theatres comprehensively cover some of the hottest areas in pharma today. 

Structured under five main conference tracks the content focuses around Manufacturing 5.0, Sustainable Futures, Future of pharma and ingredients, Next-gen bio, and Packaging innovation.

Manufacturing 5.0

The first content track of the event will explore the CDMO space, which is constantly evolving with the trends and advances in technology that drive the manufacturing sector. Moving through aspects of regulatory compliance and quality control, the increased use of digitalisation including AI and machine learning, and successful partnership strategies, the track illuminates the road to success for CDMOs in this ever-changing landscape. 

Some of the key themes covered in the track include: 
CDMO and drug sponsor partnerships Compliance  
Emerging Markets 
AI 
Flow chemistry 
Data analytics 
Digital Twins

Key panels and presentations to watch out for: 

• Panel - Pharma Manufacturing in Emerging Markets - Towards Localisation in Africa?
• Panel: Digital Health in Pharma: Revolutionising from R&D to Patient Care
• Leveraging AI for Knowledge Management in Pharmaceutical Development: The iQNow Experience at Boehringer Ingelheim
• Empowering EU API Manufacturing: Perspectives From a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation

Sustainable Futures

Sustainability is an extremely exciting and important topic in pharma, with a huge scope of learnings to be garnered. To facilitate this CPHI aims to develop the sustainability track year on year, to keep up with understanding and targets for the future. 

Advancing the integration of environmental practices and reducing harmful emissions is still at the core of sustainable action, this track will discuss how to continue with this through sustainable procurement, the impact of business models, implementing greener practices throughout aspects of the supply chain, and with a focus on materials. 

Key themes will cover: 
Decarbonisation 
The rise of the Chief Sustainability Officers 
Materiality Assessment  
Green Manufacturing 
Circularity in Pharma 
Supplier engagement  

Key panels and presentations to attend: 

• Understanding the Problem of Decarbonisation in Drug Delivery with Alastair Willoughby, Head of Mechanical Engineering Group, Team Consulting and Meeta Kratz, Global VP, Strategic Growth & Revenue Management, Lonza Capsules & Health Ingredients. 
• The Pharma Challenge With Scope 3 Emissions – Collaborative Ways to Reduce Our CO2 Footprint with Christophe Marie,  Director Product Sustainability Innovation Excellence, Aptar Pharma and Chris Baron, Director of Business Development Pulmonary Category, Aptar Pharma.
• Solutions to Sustainable Manufacturing – Green Facilities and Chemistry, with Ines Windisch, Head of Communications, Corporate Affairs & Sustainability, ZENTIVA GROUP and Bo Gottlieb, Senior Project Manager, Novo Nordisk. 
• Breaking With Single-Use Packaging – Introducing Circularity Without Compromising Patient Safety, with Philipp Ludihuser, Sustainability Manager, SCHOTT Pharma, Jörg Michaelis, Head Design to Value Program, Takeda, and Magalie Peralba, Innovation Manager, Corplex 

Future of Pharma and Ingredients 

Patient adherence and safety as well as effectiveness is being considered much earlier on in the drug development stages. Ingredients are being looked at through a more critical lens, with drug developers examining how they can use excipients and other APIs to develop improved drugs that will lead to better outcomes for patients. In this track leading experts give valuable insights into the science that is shaping the future of pharma, with compelling case studies on excipients, nitrosamines, and nutraceuticals. 

Key themes covered include:  
API Development 
Procurement strategies 
Patient safety in drug development 
Excipients 
HPAPI’s 
Nitrosamines 
Nutraceuticals

Key panels and presentations to attend: 

• Panel: Safeguarding the Future of Medicine – Moderated by Olivier Girard, Head of Unit Medical Counter Measures, European Commission
• Panel: Excipient Excellence: The Power of Excipient Grade Selection  - Moderated by Felicity Thomas, Editor, Pharmaceutical Technology Europe and with panellists Nigel Langley, Chair, IPEC-Americas, IPEC-America, Doug Muse, Consultant, Eli Lilly and Joseph Zeleznik, Chair-Elect, IPEC-Americas. 
• Formulating for Safety: Ensuring Patient Well-Being - Lina Valero, Pharmacovigilance Head LATAM, Sanofi. 
• Pioneering Capsule Innovation: Accelerating Oral and Inhalable Drug Delivery – Meeta Kratz, Global Vice President of Strategic Growth & Revenue Management, Lonza, Dumont Camille, Application Expert, Lonza

Packaging Innovation

The Packaging Innovation Theatre is designed to give an in depth look at the latest innovations and market drivers in pharmaceutical packaging. Showcasing the newest developments in clinical versus commercial packaging, the evolution of smart drug delivery, sustainable packaging solutions, and important regulatory updates including anti-counterfeiting measures. 

Key themes covered include: 
Clinical & commercial packaging 
Sustainable packaging 
Glass packaging  
Smart drug delivery 
RFP 
Anti-counterfeiting

Sessions to attend:

• Collaborative Innovation: Advancing Quality and Efficiency for Ready-To-Use Vials - Stevanato Group, Gerresheimer  
• Empowering Consumers with Authentication: The Missing Piece in the Anti-Counterfeit Fight – Terry Katz, CEO, ForgeStop. 
• Panel: From East to West – Exploring Fresh Partnership Frontiers – Moderated by Molly Bowman, Head of Strategy for Pharmaceutical SCM, at Clarivate with panellists Reiner Christensen, CEO Chameleon Pharma Consulting Group, April Wang, Senior Regulatory Affairs Manager, Accestra Consulting Company, and Luiz Alberto Barberini, Head of External Manufacturing, Latin America, Bayer
• Panel Discussion: How to Navigate Between Clinical Packaging VS Commercial Packaging, Moderated by Kaushik Datta, Co-Founder & Principal Consultant, Impact Supply Chain Partners, with panellists Cornelia Hain, Program Head Device Development, Polpharma Biologics, Michal Davidescu, Health Access Specialist, Pfizer, Johanna Granda, CEO, Claseso, and Luiz Alberto Barberini, Head of External Manufacturing, Latin America, Bayer

Next-Gen Bio 

This track will be highlighting the cutting-edge developments in bio-manufacturing. With sessions and panels discussing topics ranging from AI and digital transformation to advancements in cell & gene, and mRNA therapeutics. Experts give valuable tried and tested solutions for seamless tech transfer, and a platform to discuss how best to improve patient access will be created. 

Key themes include: 
Market Insights in Biologics 
MRNA Vaccines 
AI in Bio-Manufacturing 
Single Use Technology 
Tech Transfer 
Biosimilars 
Patient Access 
Cell Therapy Manufacturing

Key sessions to attend: 

• Keynote: The EU’s Biotech & Bio-Manufacturing Strategy – Giulia Del Brenna, Deputy Director / Head of Unit - DG for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, European Commission
• Fireside Chat: Exploring the Microbiome’s Multifaceted Role in Future Therapies – Moderated by   Christian Roghi, Former Director Microbiome Solutions, Eagle Genomics and speakers include Rajiv Khatau, Managing Director, LODAAT Pharma, and Dr Rafik Fellague-Chebra, Executive Global Group Medical Director, Novartis Oncology 
• Clinical Approaches in Type 2 Diabetes, Weight Loss, and Fatty Liver Disease(Nash) – Presentation by Yong Ji Chung, CEO/CTO, CAREGEN. 
• Fireside Chat – Improving Patient Access with Biosimilars – With Aurelio Arias, Director, IQVIA moderating, and Julie Marechal-Jamil, Director Biosimilar Policy & Science - Medicines for Europe as speaker. 
• See the full agenda, including all presentations and panels across each of the tracks here. 

Diversity and inclusion

The content focusing on diversity is also not to be missed in Milan. Incorporating diversity into the makeup of the pharma industry and it’s leadership is integral to creating a more inclusive and successful workplace. In the panel discussion ‘Leading with Diversity: The CEO Journey’, with Hanns-Christian Mahler, CEO, ten23 health, Maximilian Jakobs, CEO & Co-Founder, DeepMirror, Mahmoud Assy, CEO, Eufonía Diversity, and moderated by Emma Banks, CEO of Ramarketing, the panellists share first-hand insights, as well as effective strategies to help create a more diverse and inclusive environment. 

See more about CPHI's commitment to DE&I as well as some of our online content around the subject, here. 

Make sure you’re ready for CPHI Milan by registering your attendance here. See you there!