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Cell therapies: pharmacy's role in shaping the future of cell-based medicines
Cell therapies are widely expected to be the next big thing in medicine. What are the challenges that have to be overcome before these therapies deliver on their promise? Is there a role for pharmacists in addressing these challenges?
In the chair: Kevin Shakesheff, University of Nottingham and Rob Thomas, Loughborough  University
Regenerative medicine: where are we at? – Rob Thomas, Loughborough University
Manufacture and delivery of an IMP (Investigational Medicinal Product) for a stem cell clinical trial – Kenny Pollock, Reneuron plc
A life support system for cell therapies – Kapil Agashi, University of Nottingham

Sponsored by:

 Streamed sessions - a choice of:

Featured session: cancer
Delivering cancer therapies
Drug delivery strategies addressing the challenges of cancer therapy, specifically the need to increase bioavailability and balance potency and specificity of drugs, have been under development for more than 30 years. This session will explore whether we have reached a point where cancer drug delivery and nanomedicines are delivering on the promise of better cancer therapies.
In the chair: Andreas Schatzlein, School of Pharmacy, University of London
Polymer therapeutics as anticancer nanomedicines – Ruth Duncan, Cardiff University
Delivering on a promise? Synthetic vectors for the genetic therapy of cancer – Andreas Schatzlein, School of Pharmacy, University of London
Development of a new engineered peptide compound (EPiC) platform creating new anti-cancer derivatives with increased brain penetration for the treatment of brain cancers – Reinhard Gabathuler, AngioChem Inc

First in man studies
From laboratory medicine development into man, this session will discuss challenges of early clinical studies with investigational medicinal products and a review of experiences from industry, public and regulator perspectives
In the chair: Dennis Wong, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
European regulatory requirements for early clinical studies – experiences from a pharmaceutical industry perspective – Julie Williams, Pfizer
The practice of pharmacy in Phase I – Gavin Halbert, University of Strathclyde
First in man trials: a regulator's perspective – Elaine Godfrey, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency

Short papers in pharmaceutical technology
In the chair: Geoff Tovey, Interpharm
A selection of short papers chosen from submitted abstracts.

Tea and exhibition

Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain Improving Medicines Safety Award 2009
In the chair: Steve Churton, President, RPSGB

Rob Horne, School of Pharmacy, University of London

Identification of high risk medicines and practical application of FMEA within a national safety programme
Don Hughes, Director of Pharmacy, North Wales NHS Trust

Cate Whittlsea, Pharmaceutical Science Division, King's College London

Introduction to Safety Award – Eileen Neilson

Reducing medication errors at the interfaces of care – an integrated approach
Margaret Ledger-Scott (winner)

Streamed sessions - a choice of:

Featured session: The role of biomarkers and diagnostics in cancer therapy
The importance of diagnostics is highlighted by the fact that the chances of curing a cancer patient are directly related to how early the cancer is detected. Increasingly, diagnostic methods have also been used to understand the interactions of drugs and the body and have thus become central to the way therapies are developed and deployed.
In the chair: Andreas Schatzlein, School of Pharmacy, University of London
Identifying and developing novel therapies for cancer treatment: right drug, right patient – Steve Wedge, AstraZeneca
Radiopharmaceutical imaging of molecular targets in cancer – Stephen Mather, Barts and the London School of Medicine
Predicting drug response and toxicity from molecular profiles: the potential of metabonomics – Hector Keun, Imperial College, London

Oral drug delivery
In association with the United Kingdom and Ireland Controlled Release Society
The oral route is the preferred route of administration; the session will focus on the use of nanomaterials in oral dosage forms and the development of medicines with optimised dissolution kinetics.
In the chair: Vitaliy Khutoryanskiy, University of Reading
Novel zero-saccharide fast disintegrating tablets – Afzal Mohammed, Aston University
Combination of dissolution and clinical studies to understand product quality for a BCS Class 4 compound – Talia Buggins, AstraZeneca
Nano polymeric self-assemblies as emerging carriers for the oral delivery of proteins and drugs – Woei Ping Cheng, University of Hertfordshire

Specific targeting of biologics
There is increasing interest in developing alternate site specific routes for delivery of biologics in order to improve patient compliance and/or efficacy. This session will consider delivery to three alternative delivery sites: skin, the  colon, and the lung.
In the chair: Barry Moore, XstalBio Ltd
Targeted delivery of proteins, DNA and vaccines to skin – Sion Coulman, Cardiff University
Colonic vaccination – Sudaxshina Murdan, School of Pharmacy, University of London
Delivery of proteins to the lung – Richard Kaye, GlaxoSmithKline

The regulatory landscape
This session gives a national (MHRA) and international (EMEA) regulators’ viewpoints on the regulation of medicines as well as the industry perspective, with the highlighting of the position of new paediatric medicines.
In the chair: Tony Moffat, School of Pharmacy, University of London
Implications for design and development of nanomedicines - Rogerio Gaspar, Nanomedicine & Drug Delivery Systems Group
New paediatric medicines and legislation – Sarah Branch, Medicines and Healthcare products
Regulatory Agency
An industry perspective – Liz Coulson, Pfizer

Debates – a choice of:

This House believes that medicines are too expensive!
Patients should receive optimal therapy – if money supply means they don’t then is it the state, the industry or health providers we should blame?
In the chair: Bill Dawson, Bionet
For the motion: Mohga Kamal-Yanni, Oxfam
Against the motion: David Taylor, School of Pharmacy, University of London

Attended poster session and prizes. Prizes sponsored by