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SBS Biopharmaceuticals Symposium: Exploring synergies across drug formats

Posted: 9 May 2010 | | No comments yet

Biopharmaceuticals is a rapidly growing sector of the pharmaceutical industry. Major pharmaceutical companies have recognised this trend in recent years and defined ambitious targets for the proportion of their pipeline that is expected to be filled by novel biopharmaceuticals. It is inevitable that many of the scientists involved with small-molecule drug discovery will be called upon to contribute their experience to biopharmaceuticals discovery. Understanding of the drug-discovery process and appreciation of the similarities between these processes in smallmolecule and biopharmaceuticals are limited.

Biopharmaceuticals is a rapidly growing sector of the pharmaceutical industry. Major pharmaceutical companies have recognised this trend in recent years and defined ambitious targets for the proportion of their pipeline that is expected to be filled by novel biopharmaceuticals. It is inevitable that many of the scientists involved with small-molecule drug discovery will be called upon to contribute their experience to biopharmaceuticals discovery. Understanding of the drug-discovery process and appreciation of the similarities between these processes in smallmolecule and biopharmaceuticals are limited.

Date: 20 – 21 May 2010
Venue: San Francisco Hilton Union Square, San Francisco, CA, USA
Website: www.sbsonline.org

Biopharmaceuticals is a rapidly growing sector of the pharmaceutical industry. Major pharmaceutical companies have recognised this trend in recent years and defined ambitious targets for the proportion of their pipeline that is expected to be filled by novel biopharmaceuticals. It is inevitable that many of the scientists involved with small-molecule drug discovery will be called upon to contribute their experience to biopharmaceuticals discovery. Understanding of the drug-discovery process and appreciation of the similarities between these processes in smallmolecule and biopharmaceuticals are limited.

This symposium will therefore focus on the explora tion of synergies between smallmolecule and biopharmaceuticals drug discovery. These synergies relate to most aspects of assay development, screening and characterisation of drug candidates. We believe that such synergies already exist and should be maximised.

The Society for Biomolecular Sciences plays a major educational and networking role in the drug-discovery field, spanning the pharma – ceutical industry, academia and government. The Society aims to extend its reach and contributions in the field of biopharmaceuticals to provide a complete networking framework for drug-discovery professionals. Therefore, this symposium could be not only a forum for an exchange of ideas in a particular place and time but also the start of a more holistic drug-discovery community in which experiences are shared beyond the boundaries of the drug molecule format.

Confirmed speakers

  • Patrick Daugherty, University of California at Santa Barbara
  • Swati Gupta, Amylin
  • Stephen P. Hale, Ensemble Discovery
  • Paula Harrison, MedImmune
  • Xu-Rong Jiang, MedImmune
  • Paul D. Kassner, Amgen
  • Helen Loughrey, Thera Technologies
  • Laureen E. Little, Bioquality
  • Valerie Quarmby, Genetech
  • Terry Surrowy, Promega
  • Django Sussman, Seattle Genetics
  • Sandra Turconi, Ablynx

Keynote speakers include Sara Kenkare-Mitra of Genentech, who will be speaking on bio – pharmaceuticals’ coming of age from a drug development perspective and Philip Tagari of Amgen Inc, who will talk about small and large molecules as the yin and yang of drug discovery.

Life sciences in northern California

Considered the birthplace of biotechnology, northern California is home to some of the biggest names in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, including Genentech, Applied Biosystems, Novartis, Roche, Bio-Rad, Takeda and many more. You’ll also find some of the most respected research institutes in the world, including Stanford University, University of California at Davis, University of California at San Francisco and University of California at Berkeley.

Northern California Life Sciences Cluster*

  • The industry created 6,000 new jobs in the past 12 months
  • Six billion US dollars in wages paid
  • Five northern California companies have 560 products on the market and 463 products in Phase II and Phase III clinical trials.
  • Northern California organisations awarded USD 2.2 billion in NIH grants
  • Venture capital firms invested USD 860 million in northern California life sciences in 52 deals *Courtesy of BayBio (Bay Area Bioscience Association)

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