New China-based biotechs fueling growth in manufacturing across China

New guidelines will see poorer quality manufacturers drop out of the market.

CPHI & P-MEC China – co-organized by UBM EMEA, CCCMHPIE, and UBM Sinoexpo – takes place at the Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC) on 18-20 June 2019. The event will be co-located with ICSE, InnoPack, bioLIVE, NEX, Labworld, FDF, and EP & Clean Tech. Seen as the bellwether of pharmaceutical trends across the country, CPHI & P-MEC China’s agenda is packed with content from over 100 onsite conferences and activities as well as more than 50 seminars, with speakers from China and abroad.

With the Chinese pharma growing at a ferocious pace, CPHI & P-MEC China is expected to welcome 70,000 attendees in its 19th edition – a year-on-year increase of 55% – which is further indicative of the buoyancy of the Chinese market. The event is also expected to see a 6% increase in exhibitors, with more than 3,200 from over 120 countries in attendance.

“China is issuing new guidelines at a feverish pace and will be harmonized with ICH very quickly. The result is that over the next 2 to 3 years poorer quality manufacturers will drop out of the market and China’s manufacturers will look to compete in international markets as well as domestic,” CPHI Annual Report Expert, Bikash Chatterjee on outlook of 2019.

Wider market data also supports this ongoing boom, with China's pharmaceutical market projected to grow strongly from $115.2 billion in 2016 to $159.4 billion by 2021 and $234.2 billion by 2026. This represents a 10-year compound annual growth rate of 8.8% in local currency terms and 7.3% in US dollar terms. Similarly, bioprocessing in China has been on a trajectory of rapid growth, with a 39% growth in facilities, and total capacity is growing ≥8% annually, with biosimilars offering the largest growth potential.

At the 2019 edition, for the first time, CPHI & P-MEC China will launch bioLIVE – their new bioprocessing and manufacturing exhibition – which has evolved from the previous BioPh China and will run adjacent. This exposition is in response to the large molecule trend within the industry, and arrives at a particularly prominent moment. Within the last year, there has been a proliferation of biosimilars and double-digit approvals of biologics – as well as a host of investments taking place in contract services.

Marie Lagrenee, Brand Manager at CPHI & P-MEC China, commented: “The growth of the Chinese pharma economy has been exponential in recent years, with regulatory reforms spearheading the increased interest in the region from both domestic and international companies. With a bourgeoning CDMO sector and recent harmonization by ICH, it’s pivotal that events such as CPHI & P-MEC China provide a platform to drive growth, exchange new ideas and expedite new deals to help nurture this budding market.”

The third edition of China Pharma Week will take place alongside CPHI & P-MEC China, 17–21 June 2019 focusing on Leadership, Business, Networking, Innovation, Recognition and Knowledge. Activities will include plant visits, a networking dinner, women in leadership forum, summits and the Innovation Gallery Tours, giving a deeper work floor insight and dedicated industry conferences on different sectors.