BASEL, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--This year’s DIA EuroMeeting takes place at a critically important point in time in the evolution of drug development, post authorisation surveillance and the nature of medicines regulation. “One of the major challenges for healthcare innovation in Europe today is to maximise the opportunities of new science and technology, maintaining Europe as an attractive environment for research and innovation, in the current fiscal climate,” says Dr. June Raine, EuroMeeting Programme Co-Chair and Director of Division of Vigilance Risk Management of Medicines, MHRA, UK. “Great expectations exist for groundbreaking scientific innovation, efficient cost-effective delivery, high standards of patient protection, excellent communications and transparency and best value for the payers as well as patients and professionals. The balance between prompt delivery of effective medicines and rigorous safety evaluation is in the spotlight as never before. How can this balance be optimised in the light of cutting-edge science, and at the same time meet patients’ expectations?”
Vision of the European Commissioner
From 28–30 March 2011, DIA’s 23rd Annual EuroMeeting in Geneva (Switzerland) will attract more than 3,000 participants from over 50 countries involved in the development of medicine. In the opening plenary session on 28 March, John Dalli, European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, will share his vision for optimising the health of European citizens. June Raine points out that “this is an exceptional opportunity to hear Commissioner Dalli's vision for Europe, at a time when the need for clear leadership in healthcare access and delivery has never been greater.” Dalli and the Commission strive for a Europe where each and every citizen has equal and easy access to good quality healthcare no matter where they live. A better availability and affordability of innovative healthcare require an optimum use of innovation which delivers to the benefits of patients – in cure and prevention. The demographic challenge will intensify in the next future: As demographics change, so will all the needs of society – in particular healthcare where the pressures for high quality delivery will be high and the demand for such service even higher. To cope with the challenges, a continuous dialogue and cooperation between all stakeholders is and will remain indispensable. The European Commission is determined to pursue this path and ensure that it stimulates responsible healthcare innovation in Europe to the benefits of the patients.
The keynote address will be followed by an Oxford Debate, moderated by Hans-Georg Eichler, Senior Medical Officer of the European Medicines Agency EMA. Senior representatives of academia, associations, industry and authorities will discuss whether or not the current regulatory system supports timely patient access to beneficial medicines.
Sessions, Exhibition and Networking
The two following days are dedicated to sessions across 15 different themes. Professionals from the biopharmaceutical industry, contract service organisations, academic research centres, regulatory agencies and health ministries, as well as delegates from patient organisations, will exchange their knowledge and views. The EuroMeeting will introduce important new themes that will highlight new perspectives on current systems and stimulate discussion on new ways of working. “Interdependencies and partnerships have become even more crucial as technology advances. We need increasingly to work across traditional boundaries,” says June Raine. “I expect the EuroMeeting 2011 to reinforce again, with many real examples, the lesson of the global nature of the healthcare products sector.”
More than 200 exhibitors will enjoy face-to-face marketing opportunities with over 3,000 professionals from the pharmaceutical and device industry, from academia and healthcare, regulatory agencies and patient organisations.
The EuroMeeting offers numerous networking opportunities to catch up with existing contacts and to make new ones in a relaxing setting. All networking events at the EuroMeeting are included in the registration fee.
About the DIA EuroMeeting
The 23rd Annual EuroMeeting attracts more than 3,000 professionals from over 50 countries. It brings together professionals from the biopharmaceutical industry, contract service organisations, clinical research, regulatory agencies, health ministries, patients’ organisations and universities. This convergence affords attendees the opportunity to network with professional colleagues from around the world.
The 23rd Annual EuroMeeting features sessions across 15 hot themes:
- Innovation, Future of Treatment and Personalised Medicine
- Securing Approvals in a Changing Environment
- Patient Safety – From Data Collection and Integration to Benefit/Risk Analysis and Risk Minimisation
- Clinical Study Endpoints and Health Technology Assessment/Cost Effectiveness
- Wider Access (Generics/Switching)
- Engaging the Research World: Pre-Clinical Research and Development
- Statistics across the Drug Life Cycle
- Developing Medicines for Special Populations
- Pharma e-World
- Chemistry, Manufacturing and Control, Inspection and Assessment, Quality and Counterfeiting
- Drug/Device Boundary: Is It about to Disappear?
- Global Drug Development in the Real World
- Biologicals and Vaccines: Access to Innovation
- Knowledge Management and Telematics: Enhancing Exchange Between Industry and Regulators and Improving Support for Their Decision-Making
- Pharmaceutical Development – Regional Perspectives
Register for the 23rd Annual EuroMeeting.
ABOUT DIA
DIA is a neutral, global, professional, member-driven association of nearly 18,000 professionals involved in the discovery, development, and life cycle management of pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices, and related health care products. Through our international educational offerings and myriad networking opportunities, DIA provides a global forum for knowledge exchange that fosters the innovation of products, technologies, and services to improve health and well being worldwide. Headquarters are in Horsham, PA, USA, with offices in Basel, Switzerland, Tokyo, Japan, Mumbai, India, and Beijing, China. www.diahome.org