DRUG DELIVERY

							DRUG DELIVERY
A special integral supplement analysing the
drug delivery sector with perspectives on the future
                                   Foreword




                                                                                                             a report by
                                                                              Professor Martyn C Davies

                     Director, Controlled Release Society and Scientific Secretary, Laboratory of Biophysics and Surface
                                                         Analysis, The School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham



     Welcome to the integral supplement of Business                entitled “Get Up – Get Educated” are taking place on
     Briefing: Pharma Outsourcing 2005, dedicated to the           Monday and Tuesday. Vince Lee’s presentation on
     exciting field of drug delivery and controlled release.       biological challenges to protein and peptide delivery
     The 32nd Annual Meeting and Exposition of the                 will be on Monday and Steven Schwendeman’s
     Controlled Release Society (CRS) is being held at             presentation on formulation challenges to protein and
     Miami Beach, Florida, 18–22 June 2005. This year’s            peptide delivery on Tuesday. The main scientific
     abstract total was the largest for a US-based meeting         sessions boast over 25 invited speakers with many
     in CRS history. It makes the review, placement and            contributed papers. Among other personal session
     planning process an arduous and very important one,           choices in Miami is the “Combination
     but the programme chairs have their fingertips on the         Chemotherapy” session. This is being co-sponsored
     pulse of what’s new and innovative and have                   by the International Liposome Society. Additionally,
     designed an outstanding scientific meeting.                   there is the joint veterinary-bioactive materials session
                                                                   “Transdermal Delivery Challenges for Delivery in
     Attendees should aim to arrive Friday night, so that          Human and Animal Health” and the joint consumer
     Saturday and Sunday can be used for networking and            and diversified products-bioactive materials session
     attending one of the three Educational Workshops in           “Nanoparticle Technology”.
     Miami – “Colon Targeted Drug Delivery”, chaired
     by CRS President Jennifer Dressman; “Drug Eluting             The CRS is known for presenting new ideas and
     Stents: Clinical Need and Technology Solution”,               sessions at the annual meeting and exposition, and
     chaired by Syed Hossainy and Bob Falotic; and                 2005 will be the introductory year for the all new
     “Micro and Nanoencapsulation: Formulation and                 “Industrial” session chaired by Susan Cady. During this
     Process”, chaired by Chris Soper and Niraj                    session, Raafat Fahmy, US Food and Drug
     Vasishtha. The weekend continues with the “Young              Administration (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine
     Scientist Workshop”, which has a great range of               (CVM) representative on the process and analytical
     speakers to educate and mentor the scientists of the          technology (PAT) initiative, will be discussing PAT
     future. On Sunday there will also be the “Soapbox             technology and its uses in controlled release. Pfizer
     Sessions”, the “Releasing Technology” workshops               Research Advisor Avinash Thombre will discuss
     and the “Pearls of Wisdom” sessions. The day closes           formulation development – pre-formulation, proof of
     with the opening reception in the Exhibit Hall.               concept, selecting the right technology, and phase 1
                                                                   and 2 work. Egalet’s Director of Business
     This year, CRS has three internationally renowned             Development, Patents and Licensing, Anne-Marie
     plenary speakers who will share their expertise in            Lademann, will cover protecting intellectual property,
     nanotechnology: Nobel Prize winner Sir Harry Kroto;           licensing arrangements and patent infringement.
     “Drug and Tissue Engineering: Past and Future”,
     speaker Robert Langer; and “Angiogenesis in Cancer”           The Exhibit Hall will be crowded with the companies
     speaker Judah Folkman. CRS draws members from all             from Sunday evening to Tuesday afternoon, available
     over the globe, and the speakers in June are no               for purchasing equipment and services, attending oral
     different, hailing from over a dozen nations.                 and poster sessions and catching up with colleagues
                                                                   from around the world. ■
     Taking part in one of the four mini symposia from
     Monday to Wednesday is highly recommended. Mini               The option to register for the Educational Workshops and
     symposia presentations on bioinformatics approaches           Annual Meeting and Exposition is available at reduced
     to drug delivery and targeting, cell culture models of        rates if booking before 22nd May. Other options on the
     biological barriers, molecular targeting to treat disease     website (http://www.controlledrelease.org/meetings/
     and novel characterisation tools for drug delivery            miami/registration.cgi) include buying tickets to the CRS
     materials and systems will pique interest and cause           Latin-themed banquet and contributing to the student
58   much discussion. For the young scientists, sessions           travel grants.

                                                                     BUSINESS BRIEFING: PHARMA OUTSOURCING 2005