DCAT Week
DCAT Week preview: what's new?
The Drug, Chemical & Associated Technologies Association (DCAT) Executive Director Margaret M. Timony told us, “DCAT Week ’17 is on schedule to be the biggest DCAT Week ever, with requests for business meeting space and sleeping rooms at an all-time high.”
Due to the closure of the Waldorf Astoria, the DCAT Week headquarters have moved to the InterContinental Barclay. Three member lounges will be available at the InterContinental, Omni, and Palace Hotels.
Additionally, the New York Hilton will be the new home of the organization’s gala black-tie Annual Dinner held on the Thursday night of DCAT Week. “For the first time in many years, all our members and their guests will be in a single ballroom adding to the festive and collegial atmosphere,” said Timony.
DCAT has also introduced the DCAT Week Mobile App, which allows attendees to search for DCAT member company meeting space locations, communicate with other attendees, access the DCAT Week program and event schedule, and receive event notifications.
Education programs
“The education programs at DCAT Week ’17 will address key trends impacting the pharmaceutical industry overall and pharmaceutical outsourcing across the full spectrum of the pharma manufacturing value chain,” said Gavin Murdoch, Senior Director, Strategic Partnerships, Patheon and Chair of the DCAT Education Committee.
“The programs address those issues most significant to the DCAT membership—innovator and generic drug manufacturers and suppliers of ingredients, development and manufacturing services, and related technologies,” he added.
A new Executive Forum, featuring John LaMattina, the former Senior VP at Pfizer Inc., will address the macro issues influencing drug development and commercialization strategies, such as the impact of healthcare reform, drug pricing and the payer environment, and R&D productivity. The forum is part of a new Pharma Industry Outlook program.
A DCAT task force headed by Allison Vavala, Associate Director, Business Development, Helsinn, DCAT Education Committee member, also developed a new Emerging Pharma program.
“Emerging pharma companies, meaning smaller companies with fewer drug candidates or commercial products, are an important part of the market, whether as a customer base for suppliers or as a partnering source for larger pharmaceutical companies,” said Vavala.
“Emerging pharma companies generally have limited in-house capabilities and are more reliant on external partners in development and manufacturing,” she added.
The program will look at a few key trends, including financing, innovation in project management, and the role manufacturing plays in investor valuations.
In total, there will be six education programs at DCAT Week ’17.
“The programs will address other key issues: the levels of pharma outsourcing; the future direction of pharma sourcing and procurement; investment trends in capacity and technology for biomanufacturing; and make-versus-buy decisions for emerging technologies, such as continuous manufacturing for solid dosage products and advanced drug delivery,” said Murdoch.
