Celltrion to attend CPHI in Milan, targeting CDMO deals and drug pipeline partners

Celltrion will attend the world's largest pharmaceutical and biotech exhibition to strengthen its global supply chain and forge new partnerships in next-generation drug development and contract development and manufacturing, the company said Tuesday.

Celltrion said it will participate in the 2026 CPhI Worldwide exhibition, held in Milan, Italy, from Oct. 6 to 8 (local time).

Now in its 37th edition, CPhI is the world's largest pharmaceutical and biotech conference, covering everything from active pharmaceutical ingredient and finished-dose manufacturing to production infrastructure, supply chain development, CDMO services and strategic alliances. More than 2,400 companies and 60,000 industry professionals from over 170 countries are expected to attend.

Celltrion said it will use the exhibition to advance its core corporate goal of becoming a global drug developer. The company plans to identify promising overseas partners for co-development and technology collaboration across its key disease pipelines — oncology, obesity and metabolic disorders, and autoimmune diseases — where it said progress has become increasingly visible.

In parallel, Celltrion will work to secure stable production and supply capacity to meet growing global demand for its flagship biosimilars. The company plans to review its overseas raw-material procurement and existing CMO partnerships while accelerating efforts to attract new manufacturing partners that can help reduce production costs and diversify raw material supply sources.

Celltrion also aims to expand its CDMO business to meet surging global demand for antibody drug manufacturing. The company said it will leverage its large-scale antibody biopharmaceutical production capacity and process development expertise to offer customized partnering solutions to prospective clients.

To that end, Celltrion will operate a solo booth for the fifth consecutive year since 2022. This year it has set up a large dedicated booth spanning about 152 square meters, with a private meeting room and lounge where it will hold a series of business meetings with potential global clients.

At the event, Celltrion is expected to capitalize on the global direct-sales network and cash-generating power it has built through its biosimilar business to secure CDMO contracts and drug pipeline partnerships ahead of rivals amid rapid shifts in global supply chains.

"This year's CPhI will be an opportunity to reinforce Celltrion's development and manufacturing competitiveness and solidify our stable global supply chain," a company official said. "We will strengthen cost competitiveness in our core business while driving CDMO and drug pipeline collaboration to cement our global standing."