Welcome to CPHI Europe Market Watch: Pharma, Biotech and Healthcare

Reporting live from Frankfurt at CPHI Europe 2025, the world’s largest pharmaceutical exhibition and a global meeting point for innovation, collaboration, and transformation.

Following an opening day focused on sustainability and smart manufacturing, today’s discussions moved from vision into action. Across the many exhibition halls, leaders shared how AI, partnerships, and people-first strategies are redefining the pharmaceutical value chain.

From high-energy CEO debates to standing-room-only sessions on obesity and next-generation biologics, the message was consistent: collaboration, agility, and inclusion are now the defining forces shaping pharma’s future.

Visiongain Top Takeaways – Day 2

• From cold-chain to biomanufacturing: flexible, data-driven systems accelerate global pharma delivery.
• AI in action: automation, analytics, and accountability reshape pharma operations.
• Obesity pipeline redefines strategy: access and scale drive the next wave of innovation.
• Collaboration as currency: leaders emphasise partnership, people, and shared purpose as pharma’s new competitive edge.

Breaking News: CEOs on Agility, Partnership and the Future of Biomanufacturing

In one of the day’s most dynamic sessions, moderated by Raman Sehgal of the Molecule to Market podcast, four senior executives shared how people, partnerships, and purpose are redefining the pharmaceutical ecosystem.

Notably, Lars Petersen, CEO of FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies, was named CPHI’s CEO of the Year, recognising his leadership in global biomanufacturing and workforce transformation at the CPHI Award 2025.

Lars Petersen – CEO, FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies

Petersen discussed what it means to be a “people-first CEO” in an industry defined by both science and speed.

“When you attract the right people with the right attitude, everything else connects. Agility and a patient-first culture drive scale.” Lars Petersen, FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies

He highlighted FUJIFILM’s Holly Springs, North Carolina facility, operational since spring 2025, which connects process development to full-scale biologics manufacturing using 2,000 L single-use bioreactors and advanced analytics.

Following an initial $2 billion investment announced in 2021, FUJIFILM added another $1.2 billion in 2024, bringing total expansion above $3.2 billion.

Visiongain Analyst Insight: FUJIFILM’s model exemplifies the next-generation CDMO integrating people, process, and platform to deliver agility across continents.

Dexter Tjoa – CEO, Tjoapack

Tjoa underscored data-driven collaboration as the cornerstone of modern supply chains. He revealed Tjoapack’s “third-party-to-third-party collaboration dashboard,” designed to allow real-time transparency between suppliers, partners, and clients.

“The age of trying to do everything yourself is behind us. Progress now depends on partnering with true experts.” Dexter Tjoa, Tjoapack

Under his leadership, Tjoapack has evolved from a single-site firm into a global packaging and logistics partner, growing revenues from under €20 million to over €80 million in five years.

Visiongain Analyst Insight: Tech-enabled, decentralised supply networks are emerging as pharma’s new backbone blending specialisation with shared intelligence.

Gregor Kawaletz – CEO, Mabion

Kawaletz spoke about partnership and innovation incentives, announcing the winner of a €500,000 innovation competition judged by scientists and industry experts to support biotech concepts with measurable patient impact.

“Every company has a responsibility to support the next generation of innovators.” Gregor Kawaletz, Mabion

The winning company, WPD Pharmaceuticals, was recognised for its work on glioblastoma, an incurable brain cancer. The therapy, which began as pre-clinical canine research seven years ago, enters first-in-human trials next year. Kawaletz described the initiative as “a starting point,” encouraging other CDMOs to adopt similar models to accelerate drug development.

Visiongain Analyst Insight: Competitive innovation funding is emerging as a practical accelerator for small biotech merging capital with technical mentorship to shorten timelines to clinic.

Olf Hoppmann – Chief Strategy Officer, Ofichem Group

Marking Ofichem’s 50th anniversary, Hoppmann reflected on the importance of stability, independence, and science-led manufacturing in a consolidating market.

“Customers are looking for stability, and a family business can deliver that better than private-equity ownership.” Olf Hoppmann, Ofichem Group

Ofichem recently acquired Avivia, a pharmaceutical R&D start-up, and another Dutch manufacturing site deals initiated at CPHI 2024 and completed within eight months.

Visiongain Analyst Insight: Ofichem’s approach highlights the enduring value of patient capital and scientific continuity in an era of global mergers and acquisitions.

Across the CEO panel, one message stood out: pharma’s future will be defined as much by cultural agility as technological advancement. From FUJIFILM’s people-first leadership to Mabion’s innovation funding and Ofichem’s family-backed stability, the next decade of pharma will be built on human-centred collaboration.

Clinical Innovations Theatre: The Next Five Years in Obesity Care

A standing-room-only audience gathered as Aurelio Arias, Director of Thought Leadership at IQVIA, delivered “Clinical Obesity: The Next Five Years.” He outlined how GLP-1 agonists have propelled obesity treatment into the mainstream and predicted a new generation of dual agonists and combination therapies.

Key takeaways:

• Real-world evidence trials expanding to capture long-term outcomes
• Manufacturing pressure building on injectables and oral GLP-1 formats
• Therapeutic impact broadening into metabolic and cardiovascular health

“We’re entering an era where obesity treatment is not niche it’s the next global chronic-therapy market.” Aurelio Arias, IQVIA

Visiongain Analyst Insight: The obesity pipeline is redrawing pharma’s infrastructure from biologics capacity and fill-finish to cold-chain and logistics. For CDMOs, this marks the start of a new cycle in long-term manufacturing alliances.

CPHI Pharma Awards 2025: Celebrating Excellence Across the Pharmaceutical Ecosystem

The CPHI Pharma Awards honoured the innovators driving global pharma forward blending technology, sustainability, and inclusivity across 13 categories.

2025 Winners:

• API Development & Innovation: CordenPharma International for Assisted Peptide Synthesis
• Accelerating Innovation: NunaBio for Custom, Cell-Free, Synthetic DNA
• At the Heart of Pharma: CNX Therapeutics & The Social Mobility Foundation for Talent Without Barriers
• CEO of the Year: Lars Petersen, FUJIFILM Biotechnologies
• Drug Delivery & Device Innovation: Ypsomed for Self-Injection Devices
• Finished Formulation: Evonik Industries for EUDRACAP® Colon – The World’s First
• Future Leader: Yolanda Gomez, Esteve CDMO
• Manufacturing Excellence: Enzene Biosciences for EnzeneX™ Continuous Manufacturing™
• Packaging & Machinery: SCHOTT Pharma for TOPPAC® Infuse – The Next Generation
• Start-Up Initiative: Green Elephant Biotech for CellScrew®
• Supply Chain Excellence: Cryoport Systems for Cryoport Systems Platform
• Sustainability: Botanical Solution Inc. for QS-21 Vaccine Adjuvant Production
• Woman of the Year: Adriana Kiędzierska-Mencfeld, Rezon Bio

Visiongain Analyst Insight: The Awards underscored pharma’s transformation from digitalised manufacturing to inclusive leadership. In 2025, innovation is no longer defined by speed alone, but by sustainability, diversity, and shared purpose.

Beyond the Stages: Emerging Conversations

Outside the theatres, several cross-cutting themes gained traction:

• Continuous manufacturing and modular bioprocessing dominated exhibitor showcases.
• Digital twins and data integrity were central to regulatory dialogue.
• Energy-efficient cleanrooms and green solvents emerged as the next frontier in sustainable operations.
• The Start-Up Zone buzzed with partnerships highlighting the agility and creativity of biotech newcomers.

These threads set the stage for Day 3, where discussion is expected to shift to regulatory convergence, predictive supply chains, and the future of biologics manufacturing.

What’s Next from Visiongain

At Visiongain, we track these market shifts with precision and perspective. Our analysts combine data-driven insight, industry intelligence, and strategic foresight to help decision-makers anticipate disruption and capitalise on emerging opportunities across healthcare, logistics, and life sciences.

The following reports explore the infrastructure, technologies, and business models driving this transformation:

• Precision Medicine Market Report 2025-2035
• Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) Market Report 2025–2035
• Clinical Trial Supply and Logistics Market for Pharma 2025-2035
• Pharmaceutical Contract Manufacturing Market Report 2025-2035
• AI-Enabled Drug Discovery and Clinical Trials Market Report 2025-2035
• Healthcare Cold Chain Logistics Market Report 2025-2035

Press & Media Enquiries

For commentary, data requests or interview enquiries, please contact: press@visiongain.com