FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Drug Developers Convene in Vancouver to Explore new Approaches to Commercializing Promising Medicines
VANCOUVER, BC—June 8, 2009. On June 8 and 9, The Centre for Drug Research and Development (CDRD) will host a unique drug development conference in Vancouver. Held at the University of British Columbia, the conference brings together research and business professionals to explore new models to bridge the gap between academic research and successful drug commercialization. Keynotes include experts from “big pharma” including the inventor of Prozac.
“Despite the enormous cost and effort devoted to drug development, the success rate in bringing new drugs to market continues to fall. A new approach to drug development – similar to the model CDRD has established – is crucial if patients are to benefit from the new therapeutics coming out of the health sciences discoveries emerging from research-based institutions. This conference is part of an important and necessary transformation for BC’s Life Sciences community,” says Natalie Dakers, CEO, CDRD.
High-profile key note speaker, Dr. Frank Bymaster, former head scientist with Eli-Lilly will discuss the challenges his team encountered during the development of the highly successful anti-depressant, Prozac. As well, Dr. John M. McCall, president, PharMac, and former vice-president of Pharmacia Global Chemistry and Pfizer R&D will present key changes in the global pharmaceutical industry leading to the need for new business strategies and their impact on drug development. Other keynotes include Dr. Elizabeth G. Walker Director of the Predictive Safety Testing Consortium Critical Path Institute and Dr. Mark Benedyk , Head of The Pfizer Incubator.
The conference also features BC-based researcher presentations on topics as diverse as anti-infectives not prone to resistance, new methods to control blood glucose levels, and treatments for inflammatory gastrointestinal diseases such as colitis and Crohn's disease. These talks and others focus on the science of drug development and the challenges scientific teams must overcome in order to progress a potential drug through to commercialization.
“To be successful, the biopharmaceutical industry needs to close the gap between early-stage research and commercial success,” says Karimah Es Sabar, LifeSciences BC, president. “CDRD is the first organization to bring all the players to the table to help bridge this gap. This conference showcases the projects BC’s world-class scientists are working on, and will be a focal point for members of the life sciences community interested in drug research and development.”
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