Haf Cennydd is the Pharma Brand Director at UBM Live, organizer of  CPhI South America event. Her role includes strategy, planning and operations of the pharmaceutical events in India, China and the United States, as well as global responsibilities for the fast-growing CPhI conference portfolio. She has an extensive background in event management and specializes in working with the strategy and planning of global events. Haf Cennydd in an  e-mail interview with AD Pradeep Kumar talks about the Latam pharma market , the novel features of this year's event and the trade prospects between India and Latam nations

What are your views on the Brazilian/Latin American pharma markets?
The Latin American market for pharmaceuticals has grown rapidly since 2005. Throughout this growth, eight countries in particular have stood out as major Pharma markets within the region. In descending order of size -- Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Peru and Venezuela -- have all become stronger markets and currently show no signs of slowing down. In 2010 alone, the combined value of these markets came to US$50 billion, according to the Espicom Business Intelligence 2012 Outlook for the Latin American pharma market.

There are many contributing factors to this regional market growth, perhaps the largest being the rise in population, which is estimated to reach 700 million by 2020. Increased access to healthcare and a rise in GDP are additional factors that have helped set the stage for these eight major markets to have a combined projected value of US$80 billion by 2013.

Ranked as the third largest global pharma market in the Americas behind the US and Canada, the Brazilian pharmaceutical market has proven particularly robust with 2010 sales reaching near US$26 billion, according to the January 2011 Pharma Voice report, Ola Brazil. Additionally, pharma production in the area has increased by 50 per cent from 2005 to 2010, not to mention the fact that Brazil has the largest prescription volume in the Latin American region.  

There are currently about 300 private and state-owned pharma companies in Brazil alone, all of which have experienced growth driven by the introduction of generics, support from government policy, as well as increasing interest from many international pharma companies, such as Roche and Novartis, which are now using Brazil for the manufacture of products for both the domestic and export market. Though Brazil is still heavily reliant on imported APIs, with imports exceeding US$2 billion a year, the domestic excipient manufacture is rather strong, with more excipients exported than imported.

International companies have also been looking to Latin America for R&D services, particularly at the clinical trial stage. The regional R&D base is growing, especially with links between local universities and emerging biotech companies in particular becoming a popular trend.

What is the focus of this year’s event, and what novel features will there be this year?
As the only dedicated pharmaceutical ingredients event in the region, CPhI South America offers unique business opportunities to both domestic and international exhibitors and attendees. It is once again being co-located with ICSE South America, a dedicated platform for outsourcing services, and BioPh, which serves companies working in the biotech sector. 2012 will also feature a new co-located show, PTX Expo, for industrial powder technology.

Perhaps most exciting to visitors is the revised opening hours from 10am to 6pm, which allows guests more flexibility in the morning hours. We are also featuring a new ‘matchmaking’ programme to allow visitors and exhibitors to pre-arrange meetings well before coming on-site to the events. Additionally, for the first time ever, there will be a conference room featured on the show floor among the exhibitor booths. All of these changes have been made with our visitors in mind and are designed to streamline their experience and encourage additional networking opportunities.

Throughout the planning phases of the South America Pharma Portfolio of events, we have focused a great deal on ways to enhance the visitor experience while also increasing attendance. This includes new alignments with international road shows and associations in Argentina and Chile, as well as working to create new partnerships within associations in other Latin and Central American countries, including Columbia, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela.

What kind of exhibitor and visitor numbers are you expecting?
More than 200 exhibitor booths are planned and 3,000 visitors have already registered, including professionals from many high profile Brazilian and international companies. The events also benefit from exclusive support from ABRIFAR, the Brazilian Association of Distributors and Importers of Pharmaceutical Raw Materials.

What are your expectations for participation from Indian visitors?
At the time of this interview, 16 percent of the pre-registered visitors are from India, and we expect this number to grow through on-site attendance at the event. India is increasingly viewing South America as a strategic growth opportunity, and CPhI provides a unique venue to form partnerships that drive business in both regions.

What are your thoughts on the Indo–South American trade prospects in the pharma industry?
In the decade from 2000 to 2009, trade between India and Latin America grew eightfold, and the pharmaceuticals industry was among one of the main beneficiaries of this. The size of the patient population in South America and the growing access to healthcare also means that demand for Western medicines is also growing. As such, India is in an excellent position to capitalise on the growth in Latin America, with its historical strengths in API and increasing market penetration of generics.

How was last year’s event?
Last year was the fourth edition of the show. Over the years, the event has steadily drawn a good mix of local and international visitors. Specifically, the 2011 events drew nearly 4,000 visitors and featured more than 180 exhibitors.

There were many successful new and returning features at the 2011 events. The ICSE Pavilion returned with the addition of a dedicated area within the hall for companies offering contract services and clinical trials, while the BioPh Trail once again served to connect companies offering targeted biotechnology resources. Last year also saw the introduction of a structured conference series that was a real success, attracting 150 senior level delegates from companies ranging from API suppliers to laboratories, as well as government bodies. Lastly, the biosimilars model proved particularly popular, due to the enormous potential of this market.

What are your comments on the evolution of CPhI South America events?
The event has grown and evolved over the past four years, and we are pleased to enter our fifth year with a consistent upward trend. As the South American pharma market continues to gain traction in the greater global pharma market, we expect that the event will mirror those growth patterns. CPhI, ICSE and BioPh South America offer a one-of-a-kind opportunity for attendees to intimately get to know this market and make strong business connections while still in its infant stages. The value we bring as a one-stop shop platform coupled with the invaluable face time attendees get on-site is making this high-level event one the market is taking notice of.

What are your future plans?
We expect the Latin American pharma market to continue to grow as access to public health insurance and medicines hits the 90 percent mark and more people take up supplementary private health insurance. CPhI will reflect this growth, facilitating new business opportunities to drive the industry. In addition to focusing on ingredients, biopharma and contract services, we are looking at ways to expand the scope of the 2013 program, with more information on that front coming soon.