PACKAGING RESOURCE CENTER: SHOW COVERAGE
Interphex 2008, held at the Philadelphia Convention Center from March 26–28, will feature more than 1000 exhibitors serving the pharmaceutical industry. The show again co-locates with PharmaMedDevice, which addresses the needs of the combination products market and innovations taking place in drug-delivery technology and healthcare.
In 2008, the show adds a new partner, Biotechnica, a leading European biotechnology trade show, to feature Biotechnica America. The spin-off builds upon its German counterpart’s successes, covering all sectors of biotechnology, including showcasing biotechnology packaging equipment and services. Show organizer Deutsche Messe expects enterprises from 20 nations to showcase more than 1500 product lines at Biotechnica America.
The three shows’ keynote address will be given by G. Steven Burrill, CEO of life sciences venture capital group Burrill & Co. (San Francisco). The address will open the show on Wednesday, March 26, at 11:30 a.m. with Biotech 2008: A 20/20 Vision of 2020. Burrill, a biotech investor for more than 40 years, will present analyses of key activities taking place in the life science industry sectors, highlighting recent advances in technology and scientific activity. Burrill will also discuss the impact of the emergence of biotechnology as a global industry on the future of heathcare. The center’s ballroom will host the address.
More than 100 lectures will be given at Interphex 2008, including a speaker series that provides a platform for three industry presentations. Jim Miller, president of PharmSource Information Services Inc. (Springfield, VA), will give a State of the Pharmaceutical Outsourcing Industry on Wednesday at 9 a.m. in Room 103A.
At 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, an executive life science panel discussion will be held in the ballroom. The panel will include Ray Krauss, CEO of Gluco-Light Corp. (Bethlehem, PA); Adrian Rawcliffe, senior vice president, worldwide business development, of GlaxoSmithKline (London); and David King, former CEO of BioRexis Pharmaceutical Corp. (King of Prussia, PA). The three executives represent the three life science industries—medical device, pharma, and bio—and will address current innovation trends, global market challenges, and cross-industry collaborations that influence future generations of product development and commercialization.
The third event of the series features a roundtable discussion titled From Pandemics to Bioterrorism: The Role of Bio Manufacturing in Global Healthcare, and will be held in the ballroom at 9 a.m. on Friday, March 28. Annie Montgomery, editor-in-chief of BioProcess International, will moderates the discussion, which features four representatives from both the private sector and government.
The convention center will also house the Life Sciences Job Fair on Wednesday and Thursday in Room 201. The fair is sponsored by the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists and the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering.
