Past Event Highlights 2019

The APS were pleased to announce a unique opportunity of a one-day workshop focused on oral biopharmaceutics and the science of oral absorption delivered by a mix of industrial and academic experts in oral biopharmaceutics with many years of experience.

Topics covered included

  • Basic fundamental principles of oral biopharmaceutics
  • Impact of small molecule physicochemical properties
  • Biopharmaceutical properties on oral bioavailability
  • Gastrointestinal physiology
  • Basic pharmacokinetics principles
  • Biopharmaceutical classification scheme
  • Biomodelling tools to predict oral absorption
  • Regulatory biopharmaceutics

Speakers were from large pharma, biotechnology companies, contract research organisations, University of Birmingham, Univerisity of Strathclyde, Uniersity of Huddersfield and the University of Bath.

There were many opportunities to network and talk with the speakers. A compound example was integrated within all presentations and used to build an example of a biopharmaceutics risk assessment. This was discussed in a round table format and allowed attendees the opportunity to question how biopharmaceutics data can be used to define key risks for oral product design and development.

Pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences students who attended the event were able to gain first hand insight into the Pharmaceutical Industry through a series of talks by pharmaceutical scientists working within the industry. The 2 day event took place at one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in the UK, GSK, at the David Jack Research Centre,Ware. There was a tour of the facilities to see first hand scientists working in the laboratories. This event has been very popular over the years attracting students from all over the UK.

This workshop proved enormously popular in 2019. Our attendees learned, from a pharmaceutics and biopharmaceutics perspective, what is required to assess a molecule in discovery and its suitability for ‘candidate selection’; determine how ‘developable’ it is with associated risk, time and cost implications and what is needed to progress it through pre-clinical studies and into Phase 1 and 2a clinical studies to achieve Proof of Concept. The workshop focused on the formulation and analytical aspects of early stage product development for small molecules for oral delivery in particular and put these activities into context with the other disciplines required to progress an asset.