REGIONAL> Development
CPhI China 2008 to open in Shanghai

Updated: 2008-06-18 17:18

SHANGHAI: CPhI China 2008, an exhibition of Convention on Pharmaceutical Ingredients, will be held at the Shanghai’s New International Expo Center on June 24 as a stimulus to the country's pharma ingredients and services industry.

The three-day event will stage across six halls and two tents, with nearly 1,600 combined exhibitors from 20 countries presenting to more than 19,000 expected attendees.

"The event shows the continuing momentum of China's role in the global pharma community," CPhI Event Director Annemieke Timmers said today.

Timmers said partnership opportunities for both Western and Chinese companies are expanding rapidly, with the Shanghai event becoming increasingly important on the industry calendar.

Total exhibitors numbered less than 800 just three years ago, but this year they will exceed 1,600.

Local exhibition insiders said the event that will open next week will place a growing emphasis on production systems and technologies as the pharma ingredients production industry looks to meet and balance many complex challenges in compliance, cost and environment footprint.

“China has become one of the world's key producers of pharma ingredients and preparation with 6,693 pharmacies set up by April 2008,” said Cui Bing, secretary general of the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Medicines and Health Products.

It produced pharmaceutical products valued at more than 600 billion yuan in 2007, Cui said. He said between January and March of this year, the country produced 78.3 tons of material drugs, up 11.2 per cent over the same period last year.

Its imports and exports hit $5.7 billion in the January-March period, an increase of about 40 per cent compared with the same period last year.

China has become the world's largest producer of chemical material drugs, which provides the world market with 1,500 kinds of products, Cui said.

Since 2001, its export has been increased by annual 24 per cent. The imports and exports of pharmaceutical drugs in 2007 were valued at $19.6 billion, up 26.9 per cent over the previous year. --the end