IFPAC Conference Expands Biologics Coverage

The growing prevalence of biologic-based drug development and manufacturing is evident in the conference lineup for IFPAC 2017, an annual conference on advanced manufacturing science, scheduled for Feb. 27–March 2, 2017 at the Bethesda North Marriott, North Bethesda, MD.

Topics covered include developments in process analytical technology (PAT) and quality by design for the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, food, chemical, petrochemical, and related industries. Participants can exchange ideas and network through panel discussions, evening sessions, poster sessions, and an exhibition. Representatives of industry, academia, research institutions, manufacturers and suppliers, and regulatory agencies participate.

The event is sponsored by the International Foundation Process Analytical Chemistry (IFPAC), a world-wide, not-for-profit organization for the advancement of process analytical technology and chemistry. The organizers note an increased emphasis on biologic-based drug development topics, including sessions on process controls, PAT for the production of biologics, real-time monitoring and spectroscopic monitoring of bioreactors and bioprocessing, smart sensors for bioprocessing, and biosimilars.

The conference opens with short courses and workshops on dynamic data analysis, process sampling and PAT monitoring for continuous and batch manufacturing, comparability protocols, and quality risk management on Feb. 26–27, 2017. Conference sessions, an exhibition, and evening discussions are featured on Feb. 28–March 2.

A plenary session will examine advances in manufacturing science. Workshops address quality topics including quality by design, risk assessment, product lifecycle quality assurance, and continuous process verification.

Discussion on advances in analytical tools will cover handheld instrumentation, smart sensors, analytical method development, real-time and spectroscopic monitoring, high resolution imaging, and process Raman spectroscopy.

Manufacturing and process topics include process controls for biopharmaceuticals and small-molecule pharmaceuticals, control of materials during continuous manufacturing, PAT implementation in product development and manufacturing, performance-based control approaches, PAT for packaging, models and model maintenance, and continuous process verification.

Source: IFPAC