Singapore: ISPE Singapore Conference, which comprises workshops and individual tracks, will be held from May 27-29, 2012. It is an educational platform addressing pharmaceutical manufacturing issues relevant to both multinational and local manufacturers of the region. The event will be held at Suntec, Singapore.

The conference agenda this year is 'Implementing and optimising Good Manufacturing Practices'. Through workshops, plenary keynotes and breakout sessions, international and regional speakers drawn from the regulatory, manufacturing and process development spheres will share their views and insights on key subject areas.

Affordable and effective healthcare is a key concern in many countries and governments around the world have made reviewing (and reducing) healthcare costs a key priority. This development has indirectly resulted in pharmaceutical manufacturers looking for cost-effective manufacturing solutions to contain cost, with outsourced services and contract manufacturing as two of the key emerging trends.

Within Asia, countries that are benefiting from this trend include India, China, South Korea, Vietnam and Bangladesh. The region itself has became a key market for these multinational companies, with some industry reports indicating that South East Asia alone may account for a market value of $69.1 billion in pharmaceutical retail prices in 2016. China alone may account for pharmaceutical sales of $40 billion annually by 2013, and countries like Indonesia, Thailand and India have been projected to contribute to a sizable market value over the same period.

The conference will offer a platform for the region's pharmaceutical manufacturing professionals to gather, learn and share insights and views on issues and solutions relating to Good Manufacturing Practices.