CPHI Frankfurt begins tomorrow and I’ve packed my comfiest shoes (lessons have been learned in previous years). How about the rest of you?
We will be providing special event coverage over the next three days. On top of the enormous trade show (with more than 2,400 exhibitors), there are over 50 keynote presentations, talks, panels and discussions happening throughout the day. You can also find out more about the event in our video interview with Tara Dougal, Event Director – Pharma at Informa Markets.
I’ll be rushing about the show floor, and getting involved in filming and interviews, but do feel free to say hello if you see me! I’m pretty noticeable with bright pink hair. Or drop me a message at: stephanie.vine@conexiant.com.
Day 1 agenda highlights (Tuesday October 28)
Opening times: 10:00 - 18:30 (for standard pass holders; other pass holders may have earlier access)
09:30 - 10:30: Opening Ceremony (Galleria)
Enjoy coffee, a light breakfast and live performances as the ribbon is cut to officially welcome attendees to CPHI Frankfurt!
11:00 - 11:35: Keynote. Sustainability in a Shifting World: Communicating With Clarity, Acting With Purpose (Hall 4, 4.0G36)
This session will have a key focus on packaging – and why sustainability is a strategic necessity as well as an ethical choice.
13:15 – 13:40: Off-Patent Semaglutide in 2026: The Next Revolution in Anti-Obesity Medications (Hall 4.1, 4.1J48)
Semaglutide faces loss of exclusivity in key markets in 2026. Aurelio Arias from IQVIA will explore the implications for patient access, market dynamics, and more.
15:30 – 15:55: New Year, Same Challenges: Pharma's Ongoing Struggle with FDA 483s (Hall 4.1, 4.1L8)
Companies often receive FDA 483s. Patrick Falvey from Sia Partners looks at inspection findings most commonly related to documentation practices and procedures.
16:00 – 16:45: Continuous Manufacturing: A View Into the Future of Pharmaceuticals Production (Hall 4.1, 4.1L8)
This panel discussion will feature experts from the US Pharmacopeia, L.E.K. Consulting, Daichii Sankyo, and more. The goal is to discuss perspectives about “state-of-the-art” for continuous manufacturing.
Tomorrow's planner
Sustainability Power Hour starts at 10am – giving a fast-paced overview of key industry collaborations. Also, look out for “Catch the ball” taking place in Hall 4.1 next to the Insights Lounge from midday until 2pm. The full agenda is available here
Aprés-Sci
The Festhalle Messe is steeped in history. At the time of its opening in 1909 by Kaiser Wilhelm II, Festhalle was the largest dome in Europe. It hosted various leisure, sporting, and business events until the outbreak of World War I, when it was promptly taken over by the military to be used as a barracks. After the war, it became a venue once again until the 1930s.
The Nazi Party made frequent use of Festhalle for propaganda rallies, and 1938 saw the venue put to darker use still when hundreds of Frankfurt’s Jewish citizens were herded into the venue during Kristallnacht. It was from here that the first mass transports to concentration camps began. A plaque inside Festhalle’s rotunda stands to remind visitors of this sad fact. After World War II broke out, Festhalle was claimed by the military again, but this time only to store uniforms and ammunition. A fire struck the building in 1940, and later on Allied bombing worsened the damage, reducing Festhalle to nothing but walls and an iron structure.
After the war there was debate over whether to rebuild or bulldoze Festhalle, but thanks to the efforts of the citizens and town mayor, “rebuild” won out. The straight-laced 1950s and early 60s saw the venue host trade fairs, motor shows, and conventions for clubs and the political parties of West German democracy. When the hippy revolution washed over Europe, Festalle got cool; 1970 saw Led Zeppelin become the first rock band to headline the venue, and across the years and decades since Festhalle has racked up quite a list of alumni: the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Westlife, David Guetta, and Billie Eilish, to name but a few.
Thought of the day
“It’s not as simple as saying people just need more self-control. Obesity has become so widespread, with such complex biological underpinnings, that its associated comorbidities will only continue to rise – just as complications from type 1 and type 2 diabetes have risen over time.”
Jim Macguire, CEO of Biologics and More Consulting. Read more about GLP-1s and the obesity market here
More from The Medicine Maker
Keeping Up With the GLP-1 Boom
Patients want smarter, simpler drug delivery options – and it’s accelerating the self-injection market.
Continuous Processing. Continuous Evolution
Interviewing Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Doug Hausner about the shifts to continuous processing for small molecules.
Taking Sustainability to Heart
Can companies really put the planet (and patients) ahead of profits?