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September / October 2018

2018 ISPE Annual Meeting & Expo: Welcome to Philly
2018 ISPE Annual Meeting & Expo: Welcome to Philly

This year's ISPE Annual Meeting & Expo will be held from 4 to 7 November in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The theme is "Vision to Reality: Delivering Next-Generation Therapies." The first keynote presentation, by Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, President and CEO, Novo Nordisk A/S and Honorary Conference Chair, will address leadership in diabetes management and groundbreaking manufacturing innovation.  

Jørgensen’s presentation is titled “From Vision  to Reality: Delivering Next-Generation Diabetes Treatment.” As Novo Nordisk moves toward a regulatory submission of its new oral diabetes drug semaglutide, Jørgensen will talk about how to strive for leadership in diabetes management and simultaneously provide groundbreaking innovation in manufacturing.

In a conversation with Pharmaceutical Engineering, Jørgensen discussed the Annual Meeting and the meaning of this year’s theme to pharmaceutical engineers. 

Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen - Keynote Speaker at the 2018 ISPE Annual Meeting & Expo - ISPE Pharmaceutical Engineering

Why is this theme of such great importance right now? What knowledge will attendees take away related to this theme that will help them in their day-to-day work?

Diabetes continues to rise at an alarming rate around the world and too few people receive good treatment that allows them to reach a level of control where they can live lives without risk of disease-related complications. Global prevalence of diabetes has almost doubled in the past 16 years—from 4.6% in 2000 to over 9% in 2017; it’s forecast to rise to 11.7% in 2045.

In Novo Nordisk, we are strongly committed to breaking the curve and will do so by continuing to aim high, and discover and develop next-generation biological medicines for the benefit of patients throughout the world.

At the 2018 ISPE Annual Meeting & Expo I will speak to how we work with lifting the innovation bar in Novo Nordisk, and strive to obtain the almost impossible for the benefit of patients.

What can you share about your keynote presentation?

Two years ago, we announced our investment of $2 billion in our first US-based active pharmaceutical ingredient production facility in Clayton, North Carolina, which will expand our footprint in the US significantly.

At the 2018 ISPE Annual Meeting & Expo I will speak to how this will enable us to deliver next-generation therapies, and how our new production facility will play an important role for Novo Nordisk in serving people with diabetes for many years to come. 

The 2018 ISPE Annual Meeting & Expo brings together both new members and more seasoned industry experts. How can new and expert industry members make the most of the opportunity to interact at the Annual Meeting?

I see the 2018 ISPE Annual Meeting & Expo as an excellent opportunity for pharma professionals to engage in industry-critical conversations, learn from peers, and expand their professional network. Hence, I encourage all to be active and seek dialogue.

What are you looking forward to hearing about at the Annual Meeting?

Meeting industry colleagues and learning how they plan to deliver next-generation therapies is something that I am excited about. Furthermore, I am also looking forward to getting a glimpse of the latest technologies and services for the pharmaceutical industry at the 2018 ISPE Annual Meeting & Expo.

Jørgensen’s keynote presentation will be part of the opening plenary session on Sunday, 4 November from 1530 to 1730.