Pharmaceutical manufacturers are facing a clear challenge: innovate faster, secure supply and reduce environmental impact, all without compromising quality or performance.
At CPHI Milan 2026, these priorities will take center stage. As a distributor and market connector, Safic-Alcan brings together partners whose expertise helps turn these industry pressures into concrete solutions, from bioprocessing and API sourcing to packaging and sustainability.
Innovation beyond Drug Discovery
Pharmaceutical innovation is not only about discovering new therapies. It also depends on the ability to manufacture them reliably, scale them efficiently and turn complex molecules into consistent, high-performing products.
This is where process expertise becomes critical. In biopharmaceutical manufacturing, fermentation and cell culture can be highly sensitive to operational variables. As Biopharmaceutical innovation advances, the pressure on manufacturers has become more intensive. Knowing that fermentation is about 60 % percent of biopharmaceutical process in 2024 [1], critical process parameter like foam management becomes more than simple operational concern. This foam appears typically in cell culture and fermentation processes due to excessive aeration or over mixing and can compromise yield, batch consistency, process monitoring and cost of goods. With this issue in mind, Momentive develops antifoam technologies that help biopharmaceutical producers improve process stability and support more reliable scale-up from development to commercial production.
Innovation also happens at the API manufacturing stage. As pharmaceutical companies look for greater consistency, purity and process control, fermentation-based APIs continue to play an important role in modern drug production. With its expertise in fermentation technologies, Shengli offers high-quality APIs, improved batch-to-batch consistency and more predictable industrial performance.
Finally, formulation performance often depends on what happens on a granulometric level. A promising formulation must not only work in the lab but also be reproducible at industrial scale. Through micronisation, grinding, sieving and particle size characterization services, Lab-Service helps formulation teams control particle size distribution, dissolution behavior and powder flow. The objective is not simply to make particles smaller, but to make better drug performance by improving dissolution rate and API bioavailability. It also supports more predictable batch quality and makes scale-up less risky.
Together, these partners show that innovation in pharma is not limited to the molecule itself. It also lies in the processes, ingredients and technical controls that make pharmaceutical manufacturing more reliable.
Operational resilience Building Resilient Pharmaceutical Supply Chains
Geopolitical uncertainty and regulatory complexity continue to challenge pharmaceutical supply chains. As a distributor operating globally, Safic-Alcan sees resilience becoming a strategic priority rather than a purely operational concern.
Through GMP-aligned manufacturing, process control and continuous improvement programs, Shengli helps customers strengthen both supply security and operational predictability.
Supply chain excellence also extends beyond ingredient sourcing. Packaging plays an increasingly important role in protecting product quality throughout transportation and storage. When sensitive ingredients travel across continents, packaging becomes a critical defense against environmental stress, contamination and product degradation. Our partner Tournaire manufactures aluminum packaging solutions that are designed not only to contain products, but also to protect them against environmental stress, preserve quality, and maintain integrity throughout storage and transportation. For sensitive pharmaceutical ingredients and healthcare materials, packaging becomes an active contributor to supply chain performance rather than a passive container.
Sustainability as Competitive Necessity
Sustainability is no longer a standalone initiative. It is increasingly integrated into supplier selection, product development and supply chain decisions across the pharmaceutical industry.
Among our partners, Momentive is advancing supply chain decarbonization through initiatives focused on Product Carbon Footprints and supplier engagement programs, contributing to greater transparency and supporting Scope 3 emission reduction efforts.
Their sustainability strategy is structured around three pillars: People, Products, and Planet. They believe sustainable growth is achieved when these three dimensions advance together rather than independently. One of the most important areas of focus is climate action and decarbonization. To help address this challenge, Momentive has joined Together for Sustainability (TfS), a leading initiative within the chemical industry aimed at improving sustainability performance across global supply chains. A major component of our approach is Product Carbon Footprints (PCFs). We actively engage suppliers to improve carbon footprint measurement and reporting because meaningful decarbonization requires accurate data. By encouraging the use of recognized methodologies and platforms such as SiGreen and the TfS Product Carbon Footprint Guideline, they aim to build greater transparency while supporting Scope 3 emission reduction efforts.
Sustainability also requires innovation in packaging design and manufacturing. Tournaire supports a more circular pharmaceutical supply chain through highly recyclable aluminum solutions alongside continuous improvements in resource efficiency.
In their process, they also continuously optimize our operations by reducing water and energy consumption, recycling industrial waste, and treating wastewater on site. Producing 100% of their aluminum packaging in Grasse, France, helps strengthen proximity to French and European customers while limiting transportation impacts.
Your Partner in a Transforming Pharma Industry
While the challenges facing the pharmaceutical industry continue to evolve, a common theme emerges across all three CPHI priorities: success increasingly depends on collaborative ecosystems. Whether improving bioprocess efficiency, securing critical supply chains or advancing sustainability goals, innovation rarely happens in isolation. As a distributor and market connector, Safic-Alcan works with partners that help pharmaceutical companies address these industry challenges and transform them into growth and opportunity.
REFERENCES
[1] Biopharmaceutical Fermentation Market By Product Type (Microbial Fermentation, Mammalian Fermentation); By Application (Vaccines, Monoclonal Antibodies, Recombinant Proteins, Insulin and Hormones, Gene Therapy Vectors); By End User (Biopharmaceutical Companies, Contract Development & Manufacturing Organizations, Academic & Research Institutes, Government & Nonprofit Entities); By Geography, Segment Revenue Estimation, Forecast, 2024–2030