Informa Markets has announced the conference programme for CPHI Milan 2026, scheduled to take place from October 6 to 8, bringing together more than 260 speakers from across the global pharmaceutical industry to discuss the key challenges shaping the future of drug development and manufacturing.

The programme will be headlined by Edgardo Hernandez, Executive Vice President and President, Manufacturing Operations, Eli Lilly and Company, who will deliver the Day 1 keynote, “Manufacturing for the Medicines of Tomorrow,” at the Manufacturing 5.0 Theatre. 

His session will explore how pharmaceutical manufacturers are preparing for future demand through technology-driven modernisation, capacity investment and the strategic redesign of global supply networks.

The three-day event will bring together pharmaceutical manufacturers, biotech companies, regulators, consultants, suppliers and technology innovators to examine developments across AI and technology, manufacturing, biomanufacturing, supply chain resilience, regulation and policy, packaging and drug delivery, and pharmaceutical market trends.

This year's programme is centred on the theme “Insights from leaders navigating real-world industry constraints,”with sessions designed to provide practical perspectives from organisations addressing some of the industry's most pressing scientific, operational and commercial challenges.

Among the featured speakers is Catalina Vargas, Senior Vice President, Global Business Unit, Bristol Myers Squibb, who will discuss “Building the Future of Manufacturing: The Leadership Behind Digital Transformation.” Her session will examine how pharmaceutical companies can move beyond pilot projects and embed digital capabilities at scale, with a focus on people, processes and operating models.

Steffen Saltofte, CEO, Zentiva and President, Medicines for Europe, will present “New Rules of Global Pharma: When Everything Changes at Once,” examining how geopolitical developments, regulatory changes and evolving market dynamics are reshaping the global pharmaceutical landscape.

Elisabeth Stampa, CEO and Board Member, Medichem SA, will address the evolving role of APIs in “From Commodity to Critical: Reframing APIs for Complex Formulations and Resilient Supply.” The session will explore how manufacturers can move beyond price-driven procurement towards differentiated API strategies that recognise the importance of APIs to formulation performance, regulatory continuity and supply security.

Ronald T. Piervincenzi, CEO, United States Pharmacopeia (USP), will discuss “Pressures and Strategic Imperatives of Resiliency: Rethinking Pharma Supply Chains,” focusing on how geopolitical fragmentation and resource nationalism are influencing sourcing strategies and creating new operational challenges for pharmaceutical supply chains.

Marco Farinelli, AstraZeneca, will participate in the panel “From Policy to Practice: Europe’s Integrated Approach to Medicine Security,” which will examine the challenges of translating coordinated policy objectives into operational outcomes across Europe's fragmented regulatory environment.

A new addition to the 2026 programme is the CPHI Sustainability Summit, scheduled for October 5 and 6, immediately ahead of CPHI Milan. The two-day summit will bring together more than 300 sustainability leaders, pharmaceutical executives and supply chain stakeholders to explore practical approaches to sustainable manufacturing, supply chain decarbonisation, packaging innovation, green chemistry and evolving regulatory requirements.

The summit is also expected to provide a platform for collaboration across the pharmaceutical value chain as companies face increasing pressure to integrate sustainability into manufacturing, sourcing and supply chain strategies.

Tara Dougal, Event Director, Informa Markets, said, “The pharmaceutical industry is evolving at an unprecedented pace, from advances in AI and next-generation therapies to changing manufacturing strategies, regulatory expectations and sustainability commitments. This year's conference programme has been designed to bring together the people leading those conversations, providing attendees with practical insights into the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of the industry.”