Event preview - CPHI North America 2023: At the heart of the world’s largest pharma market

The CPHI Content Team takes a look ahead at the key event in the pharma space in North America

CPHI North America is where the world’s largest healthcare economy meets with global pharma markets, ingredient suppliers, contract manufacturers and all parts of the supply chain. Being held at the Pennsylvania Convention Centre on 25-27 April, the event acts as a central hub for the US drug development and manufacturing industry and features a who’s who of international pharma leaders, innovators and developers.

The 2023 edition of the event will bring together thousands of pharma professionals from 80+ countries, with 65% of attendees having purchasing power and 48% belonging to the C-Suite. Exhibitors cover the entire end-to-end pharmaceutical supply chain from clinical trial supply to ingredient manufacturing, packaging, biologics and finished products.

Interest in the US market has never been greater and the US has further extended its lead in the most recent CPHI Annual Survey. It ranked as the top destination for innovation and first in all types of manufacturing from ingredients and finished doses to biologics, with record scores in each category.

To further increase attendee accessibility, CPHI North America will run in-person and online, with its digital platform opening ahead of the in-person event and continuing for two months after. The online learning and networking will bring together interactive features of both an online and onsite experience and runs from 16 March to 12 May.

CPHI North America offers attendees network with peers online and in-person to nurture potential business partners; learn from experts and leaders to stay on top of trends; source products and services from the most innovative providers; and partner to improve and evolve every part of the pharma supply chain. The show itself spans seven dedicated areas:

* Manufacturing Ingredients, for APIs and excipients

* Bioprocessing, unifying small and large molecule markets

* Fine & Specialty Chemicals, focusing on the creation of custom chemical innovations to drive further breakthroughs

* Finished Drug Product

* Drug Development, covering contract services throughout the supply chain

* Packaging, with a focus on sustainability and customer-centricity

* Machinery, with the latest trends in machinery and equipment

Attendees can also register for the CPHI North America ‘Connections Programme’. This bespoke service will make connections easier, as the CPHI team match up the participating company’s profile and business needs to potential partners.

Alongside the exhibition, the event features a plethora of content with conference roundtables, live presentations, briefings and online webinars. Each morning, prior to opening, there will be breakfast-sessions focusing on current topics including recruitment, CDMO partnerships, and social media practices in pharma.

The conference alongside the exhibition will feature highly influential and experienced speakers, case studies and keynote presentations to aid in understanding and facilitate discussions. In total, there will be nearly 50 sessions, which have been specially curated to educate and inspire. These will cover trends, insights and opportunities in the North American pharmaceutical market in five tracks spread across all three days.

Five tracks, three days

Day One kicks off with Track One ‘US Market Policy and Regulation Insights’. The day will begin with a session on forecasting and pharma strategies from Sanobar Syed, associate director at BeiGene, followed by a panel discussion on ESG best practices with moderation from Edgewater Capital Partner, Bob Girton. It will end with keynote speeches on drug pricing and the role of psychedelics in pharma.

Following the lunch break, Track Two, ‘Drug Manufacturing Dynamics’ sponsored by Pfizer CentreOne, will begin with Bernd Schümmelfeder, director and business development team leader at PPD, speakinh on ‘Addressing Current Challenges in Dose Formulation Development’. Peter Stevenson, an independent director at Piramal will then chair a panel entitled Considerations for a Successful and Prolonged Partnership with your CDMO’. Other topics include Green Chemistry and a case study reviewing the TiO₂ challenges in Europe and US accountability and involvement.

Track Three on Day Two, ‘Navigating Supply Chain & Capacity Challenges’ will start with sponsor, Thermo Fisher Scientific, presenting perspectives on ‘Managing Supply Chain Readiness in the Current Climate’. There will follow a panel discussion led by Bikash Chatterjee, CEO of Pharmatech Associates, a case study focusing on environmental impact and long-term supply chain sustainability, and a talk by Ben Mills, senior director of audit operations at Rx-360 on how the supply chain has evolved post-pandemic and the key learnings to take away.

Track Four, ‘Biologics: Cell & Gene Therapy Outlook’, will see CPHI North America partner with the Jefferson Institute of Bioprocessing. It will cover all aspects of cell and gene therapies – viral vector manufacturing through to patient centricity, current regulations, and panel session on ‘What’s happening with Cell and Gene Therapy in Philadelphia’. In addition, Angela Osborne of AMC will speak on ‘Understanding Current Quality Challenges in Cell and Gene Therapy & How to Resolve Them’.

Track Five on Day Three, ‘Technological Innovation & Advancement in Pharma, is centered on technological innovation and advancement in pharma. Dr Andrew Carpenter, EVP of manufacturing, science and Technology at Phlow, will open with ‘The CDMO X Factor: How next-gen CDMO partnerships revolutionising the pharmaceutical industry’. He will explore strategies on how to leverage partnerships in order to reduce production costs and environmental harm while increasing quality.

The next part of the track will focus digital transformations, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. Session highlights include a session on ‘Workplace 4.0: How to Equip your Team for Digital Transformation in Pharma’, moderated by Cimi Sivaneri, head of business technology and innovation at LEO Pharma; and Lucas Glass, VP of AI at IQVIA on ‘The Future is Now: Best Practices and Considerations when using AI in Drug Development’.

Sign up at to attend CPHI North America and meet other leaders from the world’s largest and most innovative pharma market here.