During this virtual panel, industry experts will discuss practical examples and considerations for transforming manufacturing processes.
Innovation in pharmaceutical manufacturing is accelerating, driven by the need for greater efficiency, flexibility and product quality. As new technologies and materials are introduced, packaging systems and product-contact materials are playing an increasingly critical role in ensuring product safety and performance.
From single-use technologies to complex polymer-based container closure systems, manufacturers must carefully evaluate how materials interact with drug products. Extractables and leachables (E&L) have become a key consideration, with the potential to impact product stability, efficacy and regulatory compliance if not properly managed.
In this virtual panel, industry experts will share practical steps for advancing pharmaceutical manufacturing while embedding robust packaging strategies and E&L risk assessments into development and production. Attendees will gain insight into how a proactive, integrated approach can minimise risk, streamline approvals and support successful product lifecycle management.
Join this virtual panel to explore how to:
- Drive manufacturing innovation while maintaining control over product–packaging interactions
- Integrate extractables and leachables (E&L) assessments early in development
- Select and qualify packaging materials and container closure systems with confidence
- Address challenges associated with single-use systems and polymer components
- Align innovation strategies with regulatory expectations for E&L and packaging
Key learning points:
- Understand the growing importance of packaging in pharmaceutical manufacturing innovation
- Identify common sources of extractables and leachables across manufacturing and packaging systems
- Learn practical approaches to E&L study design and risk-based evaluation
- Explore how analytical testing supports material qualification and ongoing monitoring
- Discover strategies to ensure product quality, safety and compliance throughout the lifecycle
This panel is designed for professionals working at the sharp end of pharmaceutical manufacturing, including heads of operations and manufacturing, process development and engineering leads, quality and regulatory affairs directors, and senior professionals responsible for digital transformation.
Be an early registrant, secure your spot now >>
Christian Zeine, Ph.D. - Senior Manager Scientific Affairs, EMEA, United States Pharmacopeia
Christian Zeine joined USP in 2019 as Senior Manager in the Scientific Affairs Group for the EMEA region, with a focus on Small Molecules, USP’s General Chapters and Impurities. In his job, he collaborates with scientific experts and stakeholders and is responsible for protecting and growing USP’s scientific reputation in the region and globally. Before joining USP, Christian worked for seventeen years in the field of pharmaceutical reference standards with a focus on impurities, and before that in the IVD (In Vitro Diagnostic) industry. His scientific expertise includes impurity testing, reference standards characterization and adjacent fields. Christian has published several articles and white papers on topics such as impurities, overview of (certified) reference materials and the use of reference standards in method development and validation.
He earned his Ph.D. degree in Organosilicon Chemistry from the University of Muenster, Germany.
Dr. Peng Zhang - Principal Scientist, USP
In his current role, he is primarily responsible for standard setting activities related to the development and update of high-priority excipient quality standards and solutions, including those for lactide-glycolide or lactic acid- glycolic acid (LG) polymers and phospholipids, under the Excipient Expert Committees. Before joining USP, he worked as an analytical scientist in the pharmaceutical industry for 10 years. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Analytical Chemistry from Vanderbilt University.
Dr. Samuel Kikandi - Deputy Director and Principal Engineer at Sanofi
He leads the company’s multi-site Extractables & Leachables (E&L) and Material Science programs. With over 16 years of pharmaceutical industry experience, he serves as Sanofi’s primary subject matter expert on E&L chemistries in regulatory interactions with FDA, EMA, and other global health authorities. Kikandi is a recognized industry leader in single-use systems qualification and pharmaceutical packaging for patient safety. He actively contributes to global regulatory standards through USP, ICH Q3E, ELSIE, and BioPhorum consortia. Has authored several peer-reviewed publications in his subject matter field. He holds a PhD in Analytical Chemistry from the State University of New York at Binghamton, NY, USA.
Is the panel discussion free?
Yes – there is no charge to watch the panel discussion, either live or on-demand.
When will the panel discussion take place?
21 May 2026 at 3PM GMT.
Can I watch it later?
The panel discussion will become available to watch on-demand shortly after the live webinar takes place.
What are the benefits of attending live?
You’ll be able to ask the speakers your questions, which will be answered live in the Q&A towards the end of the session.
How long will the panel discussion be?
This panel discussion will last up to an hour.
What do I need to watch this panel discussion?
All you need is a computer with an internet connection. We recommend using headphones if possible if you’re in an office environment.
Practical steps for innovating pharmaceutical manufacturing
Topics
- AI, analytics and decision support
- Analytical and bioanalysis
- Automation and robotics
- Bioprocessing and biomanufacturing
- Chromatography and separations
- Data integrity
- Environmental Monitoring
- Excipients and raw materials
- GMP and quality management systems (QMS)
- Quality, microbiology and contamination control
- Sterility and rapid methods
- Upstream processing
- US Pharmacopeia (USP)