This year, CPHI Japan 2024 will see a 20+% year-on-year rise, with a record attendance of an expected 20,000 attendees as the country undergoes a post pandemic boom in pharma – with biologics and tides manufacturing expected to grow quickly.

The event is widely seen as a barometer of overall health in the country’s pharma industry and in light of significant R&D growth, Tides will collaborate with CPHI Japan to introduce a free conference. The increased interest is attributed to a proactive regulatory framework and the country’s strong base of peptide and oligonucleotide chemistry and synthesis. Prof Hiroaki Suga of the University of Tokyo will present his predictions on the potential of mRNA and peptides at the event.

The new Tides conference explores the country’s expanding role in the development of ‘Next Generation Cyclic Peptide Drug Discovery’. These are among the most diverse architectures for current drug discovery efforts, and are modulating some of the most challenging targets, including protein–protein interactions and those considered to be ‘undruggable’.

In a further boon to attendees, Mr. Kiyoto Nakai, Director of the Drug Evaluation and Control Division at the Pharmaceutical Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare, will provide a keynote address on recent regulatory changes. Additionally, the Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (JPMA) will outline the implications for Japanese manufactures of recent updates ICH Quality Guidelines.

“The 2024 event promises to be the largest in our history with nearly 4000 additional attendees expected compared to last year. What’s behind this surge? Well, the industry in Japan is innovating incredibly quickly and we see new capabilities in tides manufacturing as well as demand for improved stability and flexibility in API networks across Asia – so the International Procurement Forum for APIs hosted by the Japan Pharmaceutical Traders Association is another key highlight,” commented Jenny Leung, brand manager at CPHI Japan.

In addition to the keynote speeches and over 200 seminars, CPHI Japan will span the entire pharmaceutical supply chain as country’s largest pharma exhibition, with more than 680 exhibitors across five dedicated zones (Ingredients, Outsourcing, biopharma, Machinery & Equipment, and DDS & Packaging). In total some 50+ countries will be represented with dedicated pavilions for China, Korea, Italy as well as for the Japan Pavilion by Japan Bulk Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Association (JBPMA), and the Japan Pharmaceutical Excipients Council Pavilion.

Leung added: “Japanese pharma companies are rapidly internationalising their supply chains and the growth we have seen in 2024 is a direct result of this demand for greater partnering – with improved supply chain stability a major consideration. The other notable trend has been the acceleration of innovation and we are seeing a cross pollination for trends driving in recent years, with increasing numbers of international exhibitors and attendees at the event. In particular, many companies are looking for new partners for outsourced manufacturing and API procurement.