CPHI Worldwide begins in Barcelona with Korean heavyweights

CPHI Worldwide, the largest pharmaceutical trade show, started in Barcelona with major Korean biopharma players in attendance. Over 2,500 companies from 170 countries are exhibiting.

Samsung Biologics' exhibition booth at CPHI Worldwide 2023 held in Barcelona, Spain [SAMSUNG BIOLOGICS]

BARCELONA, Spain — CPHI Worldwide, the world’s largest pharmaceutical trade show, kicked off this year in Barcelona, Spain, on Tuesday, joined by Korea’s major biopharma players.

Around 2,500 companies from 170 countries are on the exhibitor list for this year’s CPHI — the Convention on Pharmaceutical Ingredients — with more than 45,000 visitors estimated to attend the three-day event.

CPHI Worldwide, first held in 1990, is a widely-recognized exhibition and networking venue for professionals in pharmaceutical and biotech industries, hosted in a European country every year.

Some 70 companies and organizations from Korea exhibiting at this year's show include contract bio-manufacturers such as Samsung Biologics, Lotte Biologics and SK pharmteco, as well as pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies like Hanmi Pharm, Daewoong Pharmaceutical, JW Holdings and Celltrion.

Samsung Biologics, the world’s largest contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) in terms of production capacity, is the official partner of CPHI Worldwide 2023.

The company set up a dedicated booth measuring 225 square meters (2,422 square feet), with a focus on its fifth plant, currently under construction, and its contract development service package, Customized CMC Solution, released in August.

Upon completion of the 180,000-liter (163,000-quart) Plant 5, Samsung Biologics will secure an annual production capacity of 784,000 liters.

Samsung Biologics has been participating in the trade show with a dedicated booth every year since 2018. Given the European region's rising interest in tackling climate change, the company incorporated the theme of sustainability in this year’s exhibition, building their booth with eco-friendly materials and replacing paper brochures with digital ones accessed through QR codes.

Lotte Biologics also used reusable frames and digital signage for its booth in order to enhance sustainability. The CDMO will display the production capabilities of its Syracuse site in New York, its plan for antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) platforms and its long-term business strategy for its manufacturing plants in Korea.

Lotte Biologics' exhibition booth at CPHI Worldwide 2023 [LOTTE BIOLOGICS]

Lotte Biologics announced in January it would build three new plants in Incheon with a combined production capacity of 360,000 liters by 2030.

SK pharmteco plans to showcase its multi-modality contract manufacturing capabilities with a focus on small-molecule active pharmaceutical ingredients and cell and gene therapy. The company recently acquired a controlling stake in CBM, a Philadelphia-based CDMO specializing in cell and gene therapy, and acquired Yposkesi in 2021, a French cell and gene therapy CDMO company.

Daewoong Pharmaceutical will seek overseas partners through its booth, exhibiting its drugs including Fexuclue tablets, a gastroesophageal reflux medication, and Envlo, a diabetes treatment.

Hanmi Pharm will display its blockbuster drugs including dyslipidemia medicine Rosuzet as well as some 30 pipelines for new drugs. The company also hopes to attract CDMO clients, putting forward its production facility in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi.

BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]