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2016 ISPE Annual Meeting & Expo Opens in Atlanta
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2016 ISPE Annual Meeting & Expo

The 2016 ISPE Annual Meeting & Expo began on Sunday, 18 September 2016, at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. More than 1,500 pharmaceutical professionals from 30 countries are expected to attend. And some 185 exhibitors will be showcasing their products on the exhibition floor. The conference offers 7 education tracks:

  • Facilities and Equipment
  • Regulatory Compliance and Quality Systems
  • Product Development and Production Systems
  • Information Systems
  • End-to-End Supply Chain Management
  • Innovation Forum
  • Women in Pharma

and 8 topics interspersed among more than 70 education sessions:

  • Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing
  • Continuous Manufacturing
  • Data Integrity and Data Management
  • Facilities of the Future
  • Global Initiatives and Trends
  • Project and Plant Management
  • Sustainability and Critical Systems
  • Research and Development/Clinical Trials and Production

Among the conferences “firsts” is the “Women in Pharma” track, which will debut Monday, 19 September. Key female pharmaceutical industry executives will lead a series of education sessions and a round table discussion, sharing their personal and professional journeys. Another first is the ISPE Annual Meeting app, which will allow attendees to identify and learn about conference sessions, and build a daily schedule for easy on-the-go reference. The app also offers speaker bios and a chance to network with other attendees by creating a profile. Making a repeat appearance is the Global Regulatory Town Hall, which was first offered at the 2015 ISPE Annual Meeting. Although committee and board meetings had begun a day earlier, the conference officially commenced at 3:30 p.m. Following introductions by Joseph Famulare, outgoing Chair of ISPE’s Board of Directors, who delivered a “state of the industry” presentation, and John Bournas, ISPE CEO and President, who gave a “state of the ISPE nation” presentation, attendees heard from two high-profile keynote speakers. The first, by honorary conference chair Joseph Jimenez, CEO of Novartis, discussed the future of health care and the industry’s need to “reimagine medicine” and the technology that produces it. The second, “The CAR T Revolution in Treating Leukemia” by Dr. Stephan Grupp of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, discussed his groundbreaking work in treating pediatric cancer patients. Click on the image below to watch the video below to see a highlight of Dr. Grupp's work:

A meet and greet capped the day, as meeting attendees met with exhibitors to exchange on new products, services, and industry news. Stay tuned for the next 2016 ISPE Annual Meeting & Expo recap tomorrow.