A Promising Path Forward: A Reflection of the 2024 PDA Annual Meeting
This past PDA Annual Meeting was a momentous moment for PDA moving forward. Not only did the 2024 PDA Annual Meeting in Long Beach, California, set expectations for the future, but it also appeared to promise delivery of those expectations.
One of the main emphases of PDA Week was the reimagined PDA Annual Meeting that took place March 24-29, which featured numerous activities for attendees to participate in. While common activities, such as the CDMO Partnership Workshop and PDA training courses that covered major topics within the industry regarding contamination control strategies, quality compliance and quality risk management, were present, new additions also set the tone for the rest of PDA Week. These additions included interactive panel discussions led by industry experts, informative sessions exploring emerging technologies in pharmaceutical manufacturing and networking events (e.g., boat tour, site visit to Dendreon Corporate Headquarters and Immunotherapy Manufacturing Facility, group power walk and group meditation) to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange among PDA members. The diverse range of activities offered during PDA Week reflected the organization's commitment to providing valuable educational and networking opportunities to its members and further solidified its position as a leading authority in the pharmaceutical industry.
Roundtables and Lightning Sessions
Something new at this past annual meeting was roundtable discussions, conversations that industry experts indulged in to cover numerous topics and challenges prevalent in the pharmaceutical space. This was an idea that the majority of PDA members were asking for, and PDA did not disappoint. The roundtable discussions focused on four subjects:
- Speeding Innovation
- Training of the Future
- 503b Compounding Facilities
- Early and Mid-Career Professional Development
Each session sparked great conversations, showing that people in the industry are willing to urgently work together to create a better industry. However, the session that I was very excited for and ended up enjoying the most was Training of the Future. Given that the world continues to change with the implementation of greater digitalization and automation, as well as a changing workforce with differing learning styles, the question then becomes, “What will the training of the future look like?” Well, this session wasted no time exploring that question. David Talmage, Vice President of PDA, led the discussion of this session and allowed members of the industry to express their thoughts on the current training practices in their respective workplaces in regard to aseptic processing. The theme that people had to keep in mind was the advancement of automation and its impact on the skills needed to perform on the worksite.
After the session, it became evident that the individuals present shared the belief in the necessity of a clear-cut guide to ensure that individuals, particularly Early Career Professionals, are adequately qualified for their respective roles. Talmage provided a compelling example, highlighting how something as simple as variations in the gowning process across different companies could result in unnecessary and redundant training in the future. Lastly, all attendees reached a consensus regarding the importance of identifiable transferable skills that individuals should possess regardless of their workplace, with the understanding that certain tasks can be effectively automated during aseptic processing.
Lightning presentations were another new add-on. These exciting presentations used the Pecha Kucha presentation method, which tells a story using images rather than reading text from slides during a PowerPoint presentation. Also, in this type of presentation, the presenter only had 20 slides set to automatically advance after 20 seconds of commentary per slide for a total presentation time of just 6 minutes and 40 seconds.
The lightning presentation sessions at the meeting featured some outstanding presentations, including Mandy Gervasio's (Comanche Biopharma) talk on Quality Management Systems: Accelerated Pathways for Development, Scale-up, and Optimization and Juha Mattila's (Steris Corporation) presentation on Prefilled Syringe Considerations for VHP Sterilization.
Here is What Industry Members Had to Say
- The plenary session on artificial intelligence (AI) was a deep dive into the realities and misconceptions of complex learning systems. From a systematic roadmap to implement AI to a practitioner’s perspective on the nuts and bolts of AI applications, the two dynamic presenters were matched by the thoughtful, searching Q&A session with attendees. Key takeaway? Calm down! AI is a tool with unlimited power and although it has the potential for abuse by unscrupulous actors, it is also an inventive technology to advance the human condition and save lives.
- The morning concurrent sessions continued the conversation about innovation and the challenges facing the industry. Technical, strategic and scientific presentations got into the mechanics of keeping the industry informed and on the cutting edge. From data integrity to machine learning styles, the speakers gave mini master classes on a range of niche expertise, moving the industry into the future.
- Special interest groups got down to business with conversations on procedures and practices that professionals need to master to guarantee patient safety. Practitioners who are industry experts, passionate about their work, and embedded in the industry shared their knowledge, including everything from the wide range of options for visual inspection to the latest in 503b compounding.
- The lightning presentations were high-energy information shares with great visuals that got to the heart of innovations, processes and solutions.
Conclusion
The 2024 PDA Annual Meeting boasted over 700 attendees, marking a notable increase from the previous year's gathering, which drew slightly over 400 participants. This substantial growth not only reflects PDA's steadfast commitment to innovation and providing its members with exceptional experiences but also underscores the continued belief among PDA members in advancing the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industry through meaningful connections among people, science and regulation.
The anticipated 2025 PDA Annual Meeting will be in Palms Spring, California. I will be there, and I hope to see you there, too!