CEO of ARCS Adrian Bootes says the organisation's upcoming annual scientific congress will be addressing some of the big changes impacting medicines, including genomics, stem cells, international regulation and codes of conduct.
One of the key speakers at the congress, which will take place in Sydney on 5-7 May, is Professor John Rasko from the University of Sydney's medical school.
He is also the Head of the gene and stem cell therapy program at the Centenary Institute of Cancer Medicine and Cell Biology, one of Australia's leading independent medical research institutes, and Head of Department for cell and molecular therapies at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
Professor Rasko will speak on the first morning of the Congress, on stem cells 'now and in the future: where are we on the road to translation?', in a session that also features TGA Head Professor John Skerritt and Emeritus Professor Alan Trounson.
"These are amongst the issues people have been asking us to address for some time," Bootes told PharmaDispatch.
He continued, "This year we have 140 speakers in 55 sessions. What we always strive to do is bring the different stakeholders together under one roof - researchers, industry, technical experts, and Government representatives.
"From a professional development point of view, I don't think you'll ever get that many sessions and that much value for under $1,000.
"We get different points of view and opinion, they're presented, and attendees make up their own mind."
Another key issue to be discussed at the Congress is international developments in regulation.
The TGA's Professor Skerritt will be joined on a panel by the chief executive of the UK's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.
"This will be a very interesting panel at a very important time," Bootes said, "when the current review of medicines and medical device regulation is considering how the TGA might collaborate more closely with international regulators."
"The Congress, which might also feature a speaker from the FDA, will be looking at the wider issues of convergence in international regulation."
Bootes said other highlights will be panels on Codes of Conduct, featuring speakers from different industry associations, and pharmacovigilance, featuring Dr David Gillen from Celgene Europe.
PBAC member and Chair of the Medical Services Advisory Committee, Professor Robyn Ward, will also feature in a panel on 'Funding Pathways for New Technology with an Identity Problem', which will discuss how expert advisory bodies are managing the growing crossover between drugs and devices.
More information on the program, including registration, is available at the Congress website.
