Panel: CDMO Consolidation: Strategic Partnerships or Dangerous Dependencies?
Day 1 Manufacturing 5.0 Stage
06/10/2026 11:35am - 12:20pm
Contributors
Bernardo Estupinan : Managing Director - CDMO Advisor LLC
Kristina Kölerud : Senior Director External manufacturing - Global Supply Chain - Leo Pharma
Chris Ballas : Global Commercial Lead - Cook MyoSite
Hannah Spaepen : Global Head CMC Portfolio Management - Thermo Fisher Scientific
Philip Coetzee : Director CMO Management - Daiichi Sankyo Europe GmbH
Industry executives debate whether the trend toward fewer, deeper CDMO relationships enhances operational excellence or creates unacceptable supply chain vulnerabilities. As pharmaceutical companies simplify their supplier networks, this panel examines the strategic calculus behind consolidation decisions and the hidden risks of dependency on a small number of manufacturing partners.
Key Discussion Points:
- Risk-Benefit Analysis of Consolidation: Evaluating operational efficiency gains against single-point-of-failure vulnerabilities in critical supply chains.
- Redundancy Strategies: Practical approaches to maintaining backup capacity without sacrificing the benefits of strategic partnerships.
- Relationship Management: How to structure CDMO partnerships that deliver integration benefits while preserving flexibility and negotiating leverage.