CPHI’s Pre-Connect Congress outlines current trends in pharma

Patient centricity, combination products, packaging innovation and biotherapeutics showing promise at the forefront of the industry’s development.

Providing six tracks across three different theatres throughout the day, delivered by more than 40 senior level speakers, the Pre-Connect Congress will cover the full spectrum of the pharma value chain; across ‘contract services’, ‘drug design and delivery’, ‘pharma ingredients’, ‘biologics and biosimilars’, ‘finished dosages and generics’ and ‘pharma packaging’.

Over 250 attendees from more than 68 different organisations – spanning 32 countries – are expected to gather at Conference Centre 1, Fira de Barcelona Gran Via, Barcelona, Spain.

The most significant contract services developments are in ADCs and advanced cell therapies. Sessions will also explore multi-dimensional CDMO business models, looking specifically at the changes increasingly agile CRO, CDMOs and hybrid providers bring. The increasing development of contract services globally means pharma executives need knowledge of macro trends, new technologies and M&As to ensure they can react appropriately.

A whole afternoon of the congress will be dedicated to Drug Design and Delivery, in which experts will look at the latest technologies, approaches and developments for patient-centric therapeutics. The panel discussion will analyse special drug designation with small patient populations – looking at orphan drugs, breakthrough therapies and HPAPIs across discovery, development, and commercialisation. Sessions on cutting-edge innovations, model-based technologies and patient-centric design of combination products will complement the agenda.

The changing dynamic of global API Manufacturing is forcing manufacturers to innovate and seek new approaches in formulation, sourcing and manufacturing to remain competitive. Key trends include the tightening of GMP regulations, higher costs through user fees, more stringent requirements for API suppliers in Europe, and the changes continuous processing is bringing.

With a large number of biologics and biosimilars being developed, this track will focus on innovative products and technologies addressing complex disease profiles. The global biosimilars sector will be analysed touching upon America, Europe and emerging markets. Particular emphasis will be placed on the development of Zarxio, one year on, the interchangeability of biosimilars, single-use technologies, personalised medicines and antibody-drug conjugates.

Another important trend this year has been the surge in serialisation practices, and how to secure the supply chain through compliance, adherence and implementation strategies – with the need to meet the upcoming legislation deadlines. A morning track will focus exclusively on pharma packaging and serialisation, including presentations on improving patient care through tamper verification systems, the future of the serialisation process, and accessible packaging – focusing on children and elderly patients. The track will also feature regulatory updates on the falsified medicines directive, patient adherence and compliance in pharma packaging.

Finally, mirroring the recent addition of the Finished Dosage Formulation (FDF) event at CPHI Worldwide, an FDF track will explore the future of generics, the need for value-added medicines that improve health, and increasing patient access through finished dosage forms. Compulsory licensing as a means to increasing generics access will be discussed, but perhaps more interestingly, this session will consider whether Big Pharma should remove patents for some low-income countries.

New features for 2016 CPHI Pre-Connect include

· Dedicated Industry Keynotes: Big picture perspectives from industry leaders for each track

· More content than ever before: 18 hours of thought leadership in six tracks across three theatres

· More networking opportunities: Dedicated on-site meeting space to host on the spot or pre-arranged meetings.

Tara Dougal, Senior Content Producer, UBM EMEA, says: “The Pre-Connect Congress provides a global perspective on the industry, providing attendees with the opportunity to reflect and take on new methods and learnings. It’s an opportunity for visitors to come pre-armed to the global exhibition with the latest trends, and helps them to make better-informed decisions about what type of partnerships and alliances will be needed as the market evolves. The 8th edition of the Pre-Connect Congress covers every aspect of the pharma development and manufacturing supply chain, saving months of costly research, and providing essential insights that will sustain business growth over the next year.”