Pharmapack 2026: The Importance of Early Integration
According to Christian Classen from Sanner Group, packaging decisions made too late in the development cycle often lead to avoidable failures in scalability and supply continuity.
For decades, pharmaceutical supply chains were optimized for cost and global reach; however, the current environment has meant that regionalization and redundancy are now the primary metrics of success. Ahead of Pharmapack 2026, set to take place in Paris, France on Jan. 21–22, Christian Classen, Chief Sales Officer at Sanner Group highlights that packaging can no longer be a late-stage consideration, it is a decisive differentiator that must be integrated early into the manufacturing and regulatory strategy to withstand a volatile geopolitical landscape.
A Structurally Different Environment
TPN: Looking at the current geopolitical landscape, what changes should the pharma packaging sector anticipate?
Classen: From a geopolitical perspective, the pharmaceutical packaging sector is operating in a structurally different environment than even a few years ago. Increased geopolitical tension, regionalization of supply chains, and heightened regulatory scrutiny are no longer temporary disruptions, they are becoming permanent planning parameters.
What this means for packaging is a stronger emphasis on resilience, redundancy, and proximity. Customers are reassessing global footprints, security of supply, and risk exposure across the entire value chain. At the same time, regulatory expectations and sustainability requirements continue to rise, adding further complexity.
As a result, packaging is no longer viewed as a downstream activity. It is increasingly a strategic element of drug development and lifecycle management, requiring early integration with device design, manufacturing strategy, and global supply considerations.
Changing Perspectives
TPN: Could you provide some best practices/immediate actions that packaging companies should be employing/taking to adapt to the new environment?
Classen: One of the most important shifts packaging companies need to make is moving from a component-centric mindset to a system-level perspective. In today’s environment, success is less about individual packaging elements and more about how design, manufacturing, quality, logistics, and regulatory considerations come together as an integrated solution.
Practically, this starts with earlier involvement in customers’ development processes. Packaging decisions made late in development often create avoidable risks in scalability, stability, or supply continuity. Companies that can connect development, industrialization, and manufacturing early on are much better positioned to manage complexity and accelerate time to market.
Another key action is investing in engineering depth and predictive capabilities. Digital simulation, moisture modelling, and design-for-manufacturing approaches help anticipate risks before they materialize, rather than reacting to them later at significantly higher cost.
Finally, organizations need to ensure their global footprint and operating models are robust. That includes qualified manufacturing capacity in multiple regions, strong quality systems, and the ability to support customers consistently across markets. In a volatile geopolitical environment, reliability and execution capability are becoming decisive differentiators.
A Very Relevant Platform
TPN: Finally, what are you most looking forward to at Pharmapack 2026 and, if you are exhibiting, where can visitors find you during the show?
Classen: Pharmapack remains a very relevant platform because it brings together packaging, device, and drug-delivery perspectives in one place. What I’m particularly looking forward to is the dialogue around how these elements are increasingly converging, both technically and commercially.
At Sanner, we see this convergence reflected in how we operate today: as an integrated healthcare partner combining development, industrialization, manufacturing, and advanced packaging capabilities. Pharmapack provides an excellent opportunity to discuss how this integrated approach helps customers manage complexity, ensure product stability, and build more resilient supply chains.
Visitors will find Sanner exhibiting at Pharmapack in Paris in January, at booth #4G46, where we will also be showcasing our new corporate movie. The film gives a concise overview of how Sanner has evolved and how we support customers across the full healthcare value chain, from early development through to global manufacturing and packaging.
About the Interviewee
Christian Classen is the Chief Sales Officer at Sanner Group. He joined Sanner in 2022 after more than 20 years in the healthcare and medical technology industry, holding global commercial and leadership roles at companies such as Phillips-Medisize, Nolato, and Flex. Christian’s role at Sanner focuses on shaping the global commercial strategy and supporting the company’s evolution into an integrated healthcare partner across development, manufacturing, and packaging.
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