Integrating API·CDMO…CPHI showcases new businesses

Kookjeon F&D unveils AXGMP, a platform specialized for regulation, for the first time…confirmed demand for searching internal SOP·regulations

Biosolution collaborated with Merck on 3D human tissue models·analysis tools…has suggested alternative to animal testing

​Samoh Pharm has diversified its health functional food raw materials…​Inist ST expanded API·CDMO collaborations

CPHI Korea 2026 took place over three days, from August 25 to August 27.

Pharmaceutical exhibition booths at exhibitions, once dominated by active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and manufacturing equipment, are expanding their scope into artificial intelligence (AI) document automation, alternative animal testing, and functional health food raw materials.

This shift was notable at CPHI Korea 2026, which opened on the 25th at COEX in Seoul. Alongside traditional booths showcasing active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) capabilities, new services supporting pharmaceutical regulatory documentation and non-clinical research workflows took center stage.

Kookjeon F&D unveiled AXGMP, an AI platform specialized for pharmaceutical documentation, for the first time. At the same time, Biosolution collaborated with Merck Life Science to demonstrate an alternative animal-testing workflow using 3D human tissue models.  

Samoh Pharm unveiled its portfolio of functional health food ingredients, and Inist ST focused on expanding API and CDMO projects with existing partners.

Integrating AI into pharmaceutical documentation: Kookjeon demonstrates AXGMP for the first time

At the Kookjeon F&D booth on the second floor of the exhibition hall, attendees gathered around laptop screens to watch an AI chatbot respond. The demonstration showed that when questions were entered into the system linked with regulations and guidelines, it extracted relevant regulatory clauses and reference documents.

Attendees focused on whether the system could retrieve scattered internal documents and regulations for practical operational use, rather than merely generating text using generative AI.

Pharmaceutical industry visitors at the booth asked whether AXGMP could integrate vast internal documentation, such as standard operating procedures (SOPs) and manufacturing specifications. The potential to deploy the platform as an internal search and operational support system that quickly locates internal documents and regulations required for specific workflows garnered attention.

Kookjeon F&D showcased its generative AI-powered pharmaceutical documentation AX platform.

AXGMP is a platform designed to structure documents generated across manufacturing, quality assurance/quality control (QA·QC), validation, and regulatory affairs (RA), while supporting the generation of required deliverables. At the booth, the company demonstrated the drafting of pharmaceutical documents, including Periodic Quality Reviews (PQR), and regulatory compliance review processes.  

The core premise is to tailor workflows to each company's document hierarchy and operational procedures, rather than applying a uniform AI model across pharmaceutical firms. The system converts company-specific SOPs, specifications, and manufacturing and quality records into AI-usable datasets, then combines the required functional modules for each task.

The platform is designed for customized deployment based on client environments, covering document management, legacy system integration, regulatory reviews, and report generation. Because it can be implemented for specific tasks or integrated as supplementary features into existing systems, the deployment scope can be adjusted to each pharmaceutical firm's digital transformation maturity and operational needs.

Kookjeon F&D was spun off from Kookjeon in September 2023. Most of its team members have hands-on operational experience in QA·QC and RA at the parent company. The firm highlights the convergence of AI technology with personnel who understand pharmaceutical document formats and regulatory agency interaction workflows as its core differentiator.

A Kookjeon F&D representative explained that while simple keyword searches for Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) regulations yield countless results, AXGMP can serve as a guide that quickly pinpoints specific relevant sections for the inquiry. The representative added that inquiries also highlighted interest in utilizing the system to search internal corporate SOPs and specifications.
 

Operation of Kookjeon F&D's AX platform.

From Health Functional Food Ingredients to API·CDMO: Expanding core businesses

Samoh Pharm operated its third CPHI exhibition booth, centered on its H&B Raw Materials Division, which oversees health functional food and food ingredients. The exhibition area showcased key ingredients, including active folate, vitamin K2, and artichoke extract, alongside finished goods that use these components.

In this exhibition, the company focused on promoting active folate, vitamin K2, and ingredients with recognized functional indications for hangover relief. By demonstrating both the intrinsic properties of the raw materials and their practical formulation into finished products, the company aimed to broaden touchpoints with pharmaceutical companies and health functional food manufacturers.

According to company explanations, the expansion of pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies into the health functional food space is creating new business opportunities for raw material suppliers. This also reflects a strategic focus on diversifying client bases by encouraging multiple finished-product manufacturers to utilize the ingredients rather than concentrating supply on one or two firms.

Samoh Pharm's booth.

A Samoh Pharm representative said, "As companies in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics sectors diversify their business portfolios, interest in health functional foods has grown," adding, "The official added that the company continues to promote core ingredients such as active folate and vitamin K2 while expanding touchpoints so that multiple manufacturers can launch products utilizing them."

Inist ST placed API and CDMO solutions at the center of its booth. Rather than highlighting specific new products, the company emphasized sharing new product development data and discussing follow-on projects with existing partners.

Having participated in the exhibition annually, the company used CPHI to maintain relationships with existing partners while identifying prospective clients. At the event, numerous industry representatives visited the booth to discuss raw material supply and potential contract development and manufacturing collaborations.

An Inist ST representative stated, "While meetings with new companies take place, we also discussed with existing partners," adding, "Inist ST is progressively expanding its project pipeline by providing data on new products and continuing business consultations."

Inist ST booth.

Connecting human tissue models with analytical equipment: Expanding alternative animal testing

Biosolution co-hosted an exhibition booth with Merck Life Science, demonstrating an end-to-end alternative animal testing workflow spanning 3D human tissue models, analytical measurement, and data interpretation.

The process involves treating human-derived tissue models, such as Biosolution's skin model KeraSkin and corneal model MCTT HCE, with test substances, then using Merck's analytical equipment to measure tissue barrier function and immune/inflammatory biomarkers. The collaboration presented an integrated research workflow linking target-specific tissue model selection, experimental assay design, and analytical readout.

Biosolution also introduced contract research organization (CRO) testing services utilizing its proprietary human tissue models. The company is broadening its application scope beyond safety assessments, such as skin irritation, ocular irritation, and phototoxicity, to efficacy evaluations including skin permeation, barrier function, wound healing, and anti-inflammatory properties.

Biosolution booth.

The phototoxicity test method utilizing KeraSkin was incorporated into OECD Test Guideline (TG) 498. The ocular irritation test method using MCTT HCE is also listed under OECD TG 492, providing validated regulatory grounds for regulatory submission testing.

At the event, inquiries from companies handling various materials, such as formulations and peptides, continued throughout. This suggests growing demand to evaluate novel drug candidates and cosmetic ingredients in models that closely mimic human tissue, amid the expanding scope of alternative animal testing methods.

A Biosolution official remarked, "Biosolution is focusing on introducing practical applications of human tissue models and alternative animal testing CRO services," adding, "This year, we received numerous client inquiries related to specialized modalities such as formulations and peptides."