From synthetic biology to patient access, AI-powered formulation to sustainable packaging, the shortlist showcases the pharma industry’s brightest minds and most transformative projects

Informa Markets has unveiled the finalists for the CPhI Pharma Awards 2025, recognising companies and individuals driving innovation, sustainability, leadership and excellence across the pharmaceutical sector.

The awards highlight achievements across 14 categories, spotlighting the next generation of changemakers in pharma. From pioneering approaches to drug delivery and biologics to breakthroughs in rare disease care and circular packaging, the shortlist reflects the bold ideas reshaping healthcare today. Future Leader and Women in Pharma categories also shine a light on individuals making a tangible impact across the global industry.

“We’ve been incredibly impressed by the quality, originality, and ambition of this year’s submissions. Across every category, the finalists are setting new standards in pharmaceutical innovation, sustainability, and patient impact. The CPhI Pharma Awards are a vital platform to spotlight the progress shaping the future of our industry. We’re looking forward to celebrating these achievements and announcing the winners on the opening day of CPhI Frankfurt,” Tara Dougal, CPHI Event Director, Informa Markets, said.

The winners will be revealed during an exclusive networking reception on October 28 – the opening day of CPhI Frankfurt 2025, held at Messe Frankfurt from October 28–30.

Finalists by category

API Development and Innovation

• Lonza: Design2Optimize(™)

• CMAC: From Crystallisation to tablet: A scalable Platform for API Agglomeration

• Merck KgaA: mPredict Co-crystal Prediction Service

• CordenPharma International: TAPS: TAG Assisted Peptide Synthesis

Accelerating Innovation

• NunaBio Ltd: Custom, cell-free, synthetic DNA

• TriLink Biotechnologies: GMP-Grade CleanCap® M6 Analog

• Covestro Deutschland AG: Mono-Material Drug Delivery Demonstrator

• Accord Healthcare: Orgovyx – Transforming prostate cancer care

• Invengene Private Limited: Room temperature-stable generic Posaconazole Injection Using Hydroxypropyl beta-cyclodextrin (HPβCD)

• Prestige BioPharma: Ullenistamab: A Targeted MAB for pancreatic cancer

At the Heart of Pharma

• Accord Healthcare: A decade of impact with International Health Partners (IHP)

• PharmEvo Pvt. Ltd: Elevating patient safety through intelligent design

• Strides: Enhancing access to affordable healthcare – HIV

• Farmak International: Resilient by Design: Farmak Group’s Ukrainian-rooted pharma network blueprint for crisis-proof global supply

• CNX Therapeutics and the Social Mobility Foundation: Talent without barriers

CEO of the Year

• Bobby Sheng: Bora Pharmaceuticals

• Deepak Bahri: Sentiss Pharma

• Hanns-Christian Mahler: ten23 health

• Lars Petersen: FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies

• Lisa Soyeon Park: Prestige Biopharma

• Michael Quirmbach: CordenPharma International

Drug Delivery and Device Innovation

• Azelis Group NV: Advanced Peristomal Barrier & Adhesion Cream

• SHL Medical: Maggie® Mix: A dual-chamber autoinjector with Needle Isolation Technology (NIT®)

• LTS Lohmann Therapie Systems AG: Launching the first biosimilar in an on-body injector

• Ypsomed: Uniting sustainability and patient convenience in self-injection devices

Finished Formulation

• Zerion Pharma A/S: Dispersome® technology

• Evonik Industries AG: EUDRACAP® colon: The world’s first functional ready-to-fill capsule for oral drug delivery to target the ileo-colonic region

• CrystecPharma: Modified Supercritical Anti-Solvent (mSAS®) particle engineering for stabilisation of biomolecules

• Roquette: ReadiLYCOAT® Plant-Based Coating Systems for enhanced oral dosage solutions

• Lonza Capsules & Health Ingredients: Innovaform® Innovation and formulation accelerator

Future Leader

• Jakub Knurek: Mabion

• Mark Kelada: Nelipak Laboratory Services

• Mohammad Farahani: CinnaGen

• Yolanda Gomez: Esteve CDMO

• Yuvansh Khokhani: YSK Laboratories Pvt Ltd

Manufacturing Excellence

• Coriolis Pharma Research GmbH: Advanced lyophilization modelling

• Enzene: EnzeneX™: Fully-connected continuous manufacturing™

• Bausch+Ströbel SE + Co. KG: GENEX, robotic, modular aseptic fill-finish platform

• VectorBuilder: VectorBuilder’s gene drug manufacturing platform

Packaging and Machinery

• SCHOTT Pharma: SCHOTT TOPPAC® infuse – the next generation

• IMA LIFE: TILE-X: New generation gloveless aseptic fill-finish system

• H&T Presspart: Vytal® innovative RTU snap-fit closure

Start-Up Initiative

• Green Elephant Biotech: CellScrew®

• NunaBio Ltd: Custom: Cell-free, synthetic DNA – including high complexity sequences, multi kilobase length and milligram scale – made in days to weeks

• NovoArc GmbH: Lipids for innovative drug formulation

• ORYL Photonics: ORYL F1

Supply Chain Excellence

• Cryoport Systems: Integrated end-to-end supply chain platform

• Occam Systems: Resilient chemical supply chains, supercharged by AI

• QYOBO GmbH: QYOBO platform

• TraceLink: TraceLink Orchestration Platform for Universal Solutions (OPUS)

Sustainability

• Celtic Renewables: Leading the Green Chemical Revolution, transforming industrial by-products into high-value green chemicals

• Enantios: Enantios platform – Enabling fast, label-free chiral analysis in solution

• Avantor: J.T.Baker® Viral Inactivation Solution – Environmentally safer detergent for virus removal in bioprocessing

• AustinPx: KinetiSol™ Technology, a solvent-free, fusion-based technology that transforms poorly soluble drugs into high-bioavailability formulations

• Kindeva: Leading the way in next-generation propellants (NGPs) – commercial-ready capabilities in HFA152a and HFO1234ze propellants

• Alliance to Zero: Lean, Green and Secure, a regulatory-ready, blister-free, syringe solution

• Huhtamaki: Omnilock™ Ultra PAPER

• Botanical Solution Inc. (BSI): Sustainability Grows on Trees: Producing QS-21, the Gold Standard vaccine adjuvant

Woman of the Year

• Adriana Kiędzierska-Mencfeld, Polpharma Biologics

• Christiane Bardroff, Rentschler Biopharma

• Dr. Ivy Gao, Sunresin

• Jennifer Gattari, Pfizer CentreOne

• Jonina Gudmundsdottir, Coripharma

• Meeta Gulyani, Ecolab Life Sciences