European Pharmaceutical Manufacturer asked various leaders in pharma what the highlights of CPHI 2025 were.
Olivia Friett
Recipharm - Jon Reed, head of strategic business planning
1. What did you hope to achieve from your participation at CPHI this year?
CPHI is always an important annual event for Recipharm, an opportunity to meet and network with our customers, prospects, and peers. Our experts were on hand to share their knowledge and expertise on oral solid dose, sterile fill finish, and advanced therapies. Meeting our team allowed visitors to learn more about our capabilities and discover how we can help them accelerate their product development journeys.
2. What topics or sessions were you most looking forward to?
This year, we were especially looking forward to the Leadership Summit. A gathering of C-suite executives and decision-makers, including our CEO, Greg Behar, allowed collaboration to debate topics such as globalisation, supply chain evolution, regulation and policy, and market insights.
Many of the themes and topics in the spotlight at this year’s event mirrored our own priorities and pointed to the future of pharma manufacturing as being defined by flexibility, digitalisation, and environmental responsibility.
3. Did you notice any interesting themes or innovations emerging on the exhibition floor?
Digitalisation remained a dominant theme at this year’s CPHI, with many exhibitors showcasing advances in data-driven process optimisation, AI, and predictive modelling. These innovations are being increasingly applied to enhance efficiency, quality, and speed across development and manufacturing.
Another strong trend was the growing emphasis on flexibility in production models. The industry’s move toward smaller batch sizes and more specialised or personalised therapies is driving demand for adaptable, scalable manufacturing capacity and closer collaboration across the supply chain — areas where CDMOs play a crucial role.
There was also a clear focus on end-to-end integration, with more companies looking to streamline the transition from development to commercial manufacture. Alongside this, sustainability and supply resilience continue to gain importance, reflected in the drive for greener technologies, smarter packaging, and more efficient logistics.
Together, these themes underscore the industry’s commitment to innovation, which supports agility, efficiency, and responsible growth.
Axplora - Arul Ramadurai, chief commercial officer
1. What did you hope to achieve from your participation at CPHI this year?
At Axplora, customer intimacy is our compass. Our goal is to understand our customers better than anyone to anticipate their needs and deliver solutions before they even have to ask. CPHI is where those conversations deepen: we listen closely, share how we’re investing to support them, and explore how we can partner more effectively.
This year we highlighted two major commitments in fast-growing therapeutic areas such as GLP-1s and ADCs. Our €60 million expansion at Mourenx and our new payload workshop at Le Mans are purpose-built around specific customer needs ensuring we can deliver reliably, at speed, and at scale.
Ultimately, our aim at CPHI was simple: to show that Axplora is the partner that makes life easier. We streamline tech transfers, accelerate contracting, and remove friction so our customers can focus on bringing breakthrough medicines to patients. By sharing these stories, we want to reinforce why the world’s top pharma companies choose Axplora as their preferred partner.
2. Which topics or sessions were you most looking forward to?
We’re drawn to sessions that get us closer to our customers’ real challenges, from scaling GLP-1s and ADCs to bringing reliability, speed, and efficiency across the entire portfolio. These conversations sharpen our understanding of demand and keep us focused on what truly benefits our customers.
Discussions on operational excellence and process intensification are especially relevant, as they align with our mission to shorten cycle times and remove bottlenecks. What we learned here can be rapidly applied across our network and shared with partners to deliver mutual gains.
3. Have you noticed any surprising themes or innovations emerging on the exhibition floor?
One clear theme this year was the industry’s shift toward closer, more collaborative partnerships between CDMOs and pharma companies. There’s a growing recognition that early understanding and co-design of solutions are essential for speed and reliability.
We’re also seeing growth in tools that simplify collaboration, digital project management platforms, standardised documentation, and systems that cut through complexity. These trends mirror Axplora’s own approach to streamlining tech transfers and speeding the path from project kick-off to commercial supply.
And encouragingly, there was a renewed focus on building technical expertise. Capacity is important, but capability is the real differentiator. With our heritage in chromatography and purification, Axplora is uniquely positioned and we’re pleased to see industry leaders investing in training and knowledge that will sustain long-term growth.
Abzena - Joe Principe, chief commercial officer at Abzena.
1. What did you hope to achieve from your participation at CPHI this year?
CPHI affords us the opportunity to meet with current and potential clients in a highly focused setting. In addition, we had the opportunity to update our understanding of industry trends, view the competitive landscape and better understand where the pharma services market is headed.
2. Which topics or sessions were you most looking forward to?
We were keen to see how the competitive landscape on complex biologics, bioconjugates is progressing. There are many geopolitical winds blowing and CPhI gave us an opportunity to better assess the risk and potential rewards resulting from what is happening in our markets.
Ensera - John Ward, VP Pharma EMEA, Ensera
1. What were you hoping to achieve from your participation at CPHI this year?
Firstly, CPHI is always an excellent opportunity to reconnect with our existing customers - discussing projects already in place as well as what’s coming down the line that we could support with. Equally important was meeting new companies we don’t yet have a relationship with. It’s exciting to learn about products in their pipeline, to hear about their current challenges and then to share our experience and expertise.
Our capacity to support pharma projects is expanding in Europe, as it is across the globe. With new cold storage facilities, platform autoinjector assembly machines in place and extra manufacturing cleanroom space ready for use, we’re well positioned to have new pharma lines up and running quickly. So, CPHI was the perfect time to be having these conversations.
We had another exciting story to tell at CPHI this year. SteriPack has a new trading name and brand identity - Ensera. The change reflects the enhanced service offering we’ve built within the group.
2. Have you noticed any surprising themes or innovations emerging on the exhibition floor?
Over the last two years, the most prominent theme in conversations I’ve been having at CPHI, and other shows, is the rise of GLP1s and the impact this is having on manufacturing capacity. The demand is massive and understandably this eats up internal and CDMO capacity across the industry.
This, coupled with the growth of speciality drugs, has created a surge of unmet need for small batches and low to medium volume projects.
This is exactly where Ensera fits in. Our facilities and processes have been deliberately designed around flexibility. We support final assembly and secondary packing of pre‑filled syringes, autoinjectors and vials from pilot lots up to commercial volumes. So, our customers can start small and scale up when they need to.
Ofichem - Marinus Bouma, business development
1. What were you hoping to achieve from your participation at CPHI this year?
At CPHI this year, our main goal was to strengthen existing partnerships and forge new relationships that align with our strategic vision as a global CDMO and API supplier. We were focused on showcasing our expanded capabilities in preclinical chemistry and formulation development, while gaining insight into the challenges our customers are facing across the development and commercialisation lifecycle. CPHI always offers a unique opportunity to have high-impact conversations with companies from emerging biotech to established pharmaceutical companies who are seeking transparent and flexible partnerships across the entire value chain. Ultimately, we wanted to leave CPHI with actionable leads, deeper market intelligence, and a sharper understanding of how we can help our partners de-risk development and accelerate time to market.
2. Which topics or sessions are you looking forward to?
We were particularly interested in sessions focused on innovation in pharma manufacturing, sustainable supply chain strategies, and advanced modalities. These directly intersect with our current investment areas and client demands.
In a rapidly evolving regulatory and competitive landscape, being present at CPHI keeps us connected, responsive, and ahead of global market trends.
3. Have you noticed any surprising themes or innovations emerging on the exhibition floor?
One surprising but welcome theme we’ve noticed is the increased focus on supply chain functions. Ofichem is always aware of the global trends and our distribution and packaging service can help to secure the supply chain of our customers by keeping stock of important APIs.
Mabion - Jakub Knurek, marketing specialist
1. What were you hoping to achieve from your participation at CPHI this year?
Our participation at CPHI this year was guided by a very clear set of objectives. As a growing CDMO, we are focused on reinforcing our visibility within the global biopharmaceutical ecosystem and communicating the progress Mabion has made in expanding its capabilities.
CPHI is the premier gathering point for decision-makers in the industry, and I see it as an opportunity to demonstrate how our integrated offering can provide real value to partners seeking reliable biologics production. Another key ambition was to strengthen existing partnerships while cultivating new ones, particularly with companies exploring innovative biologics and biosimilars who require a flexible, highly competent partner. Beyond the commercial aspect, we also aim to gain insights into evolving market expectations, emerging regulatory frameworks, and technology advancements that will influence our clients’ strategies.
Importantly, I view CPHI not only as a business development platform but also as a forum for dialogue. By listening to peers and thought leaders, we can ensure our roadmap continues to anticipate where the industry is heading. For Mabion, the achievement will not simply be measured in the number of new contacts but in the quality of conversations and the long-term collaborations that arise from them.
2. Which topics or sessions are you looking forward to?
Several themes at CPHI resonate strongly with Mabion’s strategic direction. I was particularly keen to follow sessions on the integration of digital technologies in biologics manufacturing, as we are actively investing in process optimisation and automation to enhance efficiency and compliance.
Discussions around biosimilars were equally critical for us, given that this remains a major area of opportunity where our capabilities are directly aligned with market needs. I also see tremendous value in panels that examine global supply chain resilience, since the disruptions of recent years have underscored the necessity of flexible and robust networks.
As a European CDMO, topics related to fostering regional manufacturing independence and aligning with the European Union’s pharmaceutical strategy, and EMA regulations are particularly relevant, as they influence both our positioning and long-term growth. Additionally, I was interested in hearing from regulators and industry leaders about how evolving guidelines around advanced therapies, such as cell and gene products, may reshape CDMO service models. By aligning our perspectives with these discussions, we can ensure that Mabion is proactively preparing to support clients with current biologics therapies.
Ultimately, the sessions I prioritised were those that help us better anticipate the needs of our partners and design services that match those expectations.
3. Have you noticed any surprising themes or innovations emerging on the exhibition floor?
What has stood out to me this year is the strong emphasis on how CDMOs are reshaping their biologics platforms to deliver faster, more flexible, and more reliable solutions from early development through commercial scale. The Next-Gen Bio track agenda, particularly the session on accelerating biologics development and manufacturing, underlines how speed and adaptability have become decisive factors in partnering strategies.
I was impressed by the innovations being showcased around modular bioreactor systems, intensified upstream processes, and digital integration tools that allow for real-time data visibility across the supply chain.
These are not just incremental improvements. They fundamentally change the way CDMOs like Mabion can help clients de-risk programs and shorten their path to patients.
Beyond the focus on accelerating biologics development, what I find particularly valuable in the CPHI agenda is how well it reflects the interconnectedness of services that Mabion delivers.
Sessions on supply chain resilience, regulatory harmonisation, digital transformation, and sustainability directly touch on areas where we support our partners throughout the entire product lifecycle. For example, discussions on global supply chains reinforce our commitment to ensuring robust and flexible biologics manufacturing within Europe, reducing dependency risks for our clients.
The agenda mirrors the comprehensive scope of Mabion’s CDMO capabilities -from early-stage process development and analytical support, through clinical and commercial GMP manufacturing, to lifecycle management and regulatory alignment. It reinforces the idea that true value for clients comes from an integrated offering that anticipates market trends and regulatory expectations while maintaining the flexibility to adapt to each program’s unique needs.