Annual Meeting 2022
Cork, IE, 20 – 24 June 2022
Welcome
The EU-funded InPharma project is working towards making drug development more predictable and reducing animal testing in drug development by using a fully integrated, animal-free, end-to-end modelling approach to the formulation of drugs for oral administration.
InPharma is the first European Industrial Doctorate (EID) that aims at eliminating animals from the development of oral drug formulations by substituting them with computational and bio-predictive in vitro tools. InPharma will apply an ‘end-to-end’ model-based drug development approach, by linking data emerging from drug discovery into computational models that predict the optimal formulation design, which is then integrated into models that predict drug levels in simulated human clinical trials. This end-to-end model-based approach is essential to advance innovation and competitiveness of Pharmaceutical R&D in Europe, and at the same time support the European Commission’s goal of animal-free testing.
The pharmaceutical industry is still lacking personnel trained in novel computational and laboratory-based technologies for oral drug formulation. InPharma will bridge this qualification gap by training doctoral students (early-stage researchers, ESRs) in computational pharmaceutics, innovative lab-based predictive tools and physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modelling. In total, 13 ESRs have been recruited to work on individual projects as part of the InPharma network supported by experts in the field of oral drug development.
The InPharma project brings together the complementary expertise of six multi-national pharmaceutical companies, five world-class academic research institutions and eight partner organisations to ensure the best research and training conditions for each individual to reach the overall project goals. The ESRs have the opportunity to start their research careers in a truly intersectoral environment and each ESR will experience life as a researcher at an innovative pharmaceutical company and at one of the leading research institutions in Europe. The local PhD programmes will be complemented by network-wide training events designed to prepare the ESRs to become highly successful researchers in the pharmaceutical industry.
We hope that this kick-off will be a rewarding experience for all those attending the meeting and a first step in a successful career for the ESRs.
Welcome to the InPharma Annual Meeting 2022,
InPharma Annual Meeting Organising Committee
Day 1, 20 June 2022: Progress Update
Location: LG51, UCC School of Pharmacy
9:00
Welcome & Introduction
Prof. Brendan Griffin, University College Cork
9:15
ESR Training: Outreach, Dissemination
Julia Goetz, accelCH
10:15
Q&A Session for ESRs
Julia Götz & Jaqueline Strehler, accelCH
10:45
Coffee break
11:15
Overview presentations by ESRs
Brief Overview Presentation by each ESR (5 min)
12:30
Presentation Skills Training
Prof. Alan Kelly, UCC
13:30
Lunch break
14:30
Project Progress Update
Prof. Brendan Griffin, University College Cork
15:30
Coffee break
16:00
Board Meetings & ESR Networking Activity (Parallel Session)
17:00
End of Day
Day 2, 21 June 2022: Mid-term check
Location: LG51, UCC School of Pharmacy
10:00
Introduction
Prof. Brendan Griffin, University College Cork, REA Representative
10:05
Project Officer’s presentation on the monitoring of project implementation, reporting and purpose of the mid-term check
REA Representative
10:20
Coordinator’s Report, covering network’s progress and achievements in terms of recruitment and management
Prof. Brendan Griffin, University College Cork
10:45
Presentations WP1 leaders and by individual fellows covering bio, individual project (foreseen research, training, secondments,..) + Q&A
ESRs 1-6
11:20
Coffee Break
11:35
Presentations by individual fellows covering bio, individual project (foreseen research, training, secondments,..) + Q&A
ESRs 7-13
12:15
Meeting between the fellows and the Project Officer to discuss their experience within the network
ESRs & REA Representative
13:15
Lunch break
14:00
Meeting between coordinator and Project Officer
Coordinator’s team & REA representative
14:30
Feedback/Closing session
15:00
End of Day
Day 3, 22 June 2022: InPharma Open Symposium
Location: LG51, UCC School of Pharmacy
The theme for the InPharma Symposium is Advancing an integrated, animal-free, end-to-end modelling approach to oral drug product development. There will be four distinct sessions, as outlined below, followed by a round table discussion at the end of each session.
Welcome Address
08:50
Welcome Address
Prof John Cryan, Vice President for Research & Innovation at UCC
Session 1: Early stage drug solubility screening: from theory to prediction
Chair: Brendan Griffin
09:00
Determining the Solubility and Implications of the Result
Bradley Anderson, University of Kentucky
09:45
Solubility of salts – what are the pitfalls?
Alex Avdeef, in-ADME Research
10:30
Utilizing solubility data for in vivo performance prediction throughout (pre)clinical development
Chara Litou, Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd
Session 2: Predicting formulation performance
Chair: Jennifer Dressman
11:30
Informed selection of formulation approaches for poorly water soluble APIs
Anne Marie Healy, Trinity College Dublin
12:15
Role of PBPK in predicting formulation performance
Nikoletta Fotaki, University of Bath
Session 3: Regulatory perspectives: advancing 3Rs approach and animal free formulation screening approaches
Chair: Caitriona O’Driscoll
14:00
Scientific animal protection
JG Beechinor, HPRA, Ireland
14:30
Non-animal approaches and regulatory progress
Elisabet Berggren, European Commission Joint Research Centre
15:30
Saving Snoopy – reimagining late stage preclinical development with TIM
Susann Bellman, TNO, Netherlands
Session 4: Industrial perspectives on model informed drug development
Chair: Patrick O’Dwyer
16:00
Translational modeling of orally administered drug products: Challenges & Opportunities
Mark McAllister, Pfizer
16:30
PhysioMAD: an improved assessment of absorption potential & limitations in development.
Jef Stappaerts, Janssen
Day 4, 23 June 2022: Researcher symposium
Location: LG51, UCC School of Pharmacy
09:00
ESR 1 – 3 Research Presentations
(Max 20 minutes per ESR with 10 minutes afterward for questions/feedback)
10:30
Coffee break
11:00
ESR 4 – 7 Research Presentations
(Max 20 minutes per ESR with 10 minutes afterward for questions/feedback)
13:00
Lunch break
14:00
ESR 8 – 10 Research Presentations
(Max 20 minutes per ESR with 10 minutes afterward for questions/feedback)
15:30
Coffee break
16:00
ESR 11 – 13 Research Presentations
(Max 20 minutes per ESR with 10 minutes afterward for questions/feedback)
17:30
Parallel WP meetings/discussions
All participants
18:00
End of Day
Day 5, 24 June 2022: Generic and Transferable skills training
Location: LG01, UCC School of Pharmacy
9:00
Scientific publishing – Preparing scientific presentations and posters
Prof. Alan Kelly
10:00
Good scientific writing – Overview of how to write well, including review of scientific abstract prepared by each graduate
Prof. Alan Kelly
11:00
Coffee break
11:15
Scientific publications – process of PEER review, and publication ethics
Prof. Alan Kelly
12:15
Tips on scientific writing during the PhD ‘journey’ ‘If only someone had told me so….
Dr Patrick O’Dwyer
13:00
Lunch
13:45
Scientific and public dissemination – The impact of papers and researchers
Prof. Alan Kelly
14:30
Presentation skills – self assessment & group reflections on presentations from previous day
Prof. Alan Kelly
15:00
ESR Networking Activity
18:00
End of Day
Additional information
Networking Events
- Sunday: ESR Dinner (ESRs)
- Day 1: Social Event (PIs), Treasure hunt around Cork city (ESRs)
- Day 2: Conference and Pre-symposium dinner (All)
- Day 3: Free Evening (All)
- Day 4: Tour of famous Cork ‘landmarks’ including local breweries (All)
- Day 5: Escape room challenge (ESRs)
About Cork
Cork, located on Ireland’s south coast, is the Republic of Ireland’s second largest city. The history of Cork dates back to a monastic settlement, founded by St Finbar in the sixth century however the ancestor of the modern city was founded between 915 and 922, when Viking settlers established a trading community.
Today Cork is a powerhouse of economic, industrial and business development. Cork is recognised internationally as a major European centre for the life science industry with. 7 out of the top 10 global pharmaceutical companies are located in Cork, with over 30 companies are now operating in the sector in Cork, with approximately 15,000 people are employed in Life Sciences in the Cork region. Cork International Airport serves over 50 international destinations.
Cork is a vibrant and cosmopolitan city with a population of over 210,000 people yet it still manages to retain the pleasant charm and friendliness of a country town. The surrounding country is also lush and beautiful. Cork County boasts a magnificent coastline scooped and fretted by the Atlantic into great bays, secret coves, rocky headlands and long golden sands. Cork is the Food Capital of Ireland, home to the birthplace of modern Irish Cuisine at Ballymaloe House, the famed English Market and home to artisan food producers. Don’t just take our word for it – as Lonely Planet themselves said ‘Everything good about Ireland can be found in County Cork’.
Main contact
Prof. Brendan Griffin, University College Cork
InPharma Coordinator
Dr. Patrick O’Dwyer, University College Cork
Lecturer in Pharmaceutics