Drug Information Association to Host Annual Canadian Meeting: New Realities/New Frontiers

OTTAWA—DIA will host the Annual Canadian Meeting: New Realities/New Frontiers from Oct. 29 to 30 at the Ottawa Marriott Hotel, bringing together worldwide leaders in regulation, industry, research and patient advocacy to discuss how the progress being made in patient-centered care can be translated into change in the drug development pipeline and regulatory processes.

Sessions will be devoted to the challenges faced by industry and regulators, the impact of global collaboration, and the need to provide patients and clinical professionals with increased access to drug information.

“New advancements such as novel products and technologies and personalized medicine models and cell therapies call for innovations in Canada’s regulatory landscape to maximize benefit to the patient,” said Barbara Lopez Kunz, global chief executive of DIA. “The meeting will explore how patients, health care professionals, industry and regulators can embrace these changes while placing patient safety and greater access to drugs at the forefront of their work.”

Kathryn McDade, assistant deputy minister of Health Canada’s Health Products and Food Branch, will deliver the opening remarks, followed by the plenary debate, “International Regulatory Cooperation: Trends and Impacts.” The session will focus on the impact of international cooperation on public policy and drug regulation, and highlight key initiatives that encourage interagency collaboration.

The Annual Canadian Meeting sessions include:

- Stakeholder Perspective, Oct. 29, 11 a.m.: As the industry seeks to bring products to global markets with a unified approach to research and development, companies face national laws and diversified regulatory requirements. The session will provide insight into the involvement of stakeholders in the regulatory harmonization process. Chanez-Narimene Kebache, manager of pharmacovigilance in Canada for Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, will lead the session with key representatives from Health Canada and AstraZeneca, as well as patient advocates.

- IT Modernization, Oct. 30, 8:30 a.m.: Chaired by Paul Litowitz, associate director of the Bureau of Metabolism, Oncology and Reproductive Sciences, Therapeutic Products Directorate, Health Canada, the session will present the overall features of information technology modernization in the areas of website, e-signature and other electronic gateway platforms for market authorization and clinical trials.

- It’s BIG and It’s Coming, Oct. 30, 1 p.m.: Presented by Karen Feltmate, president of Redstone Health Group Inc., and representatives of Health Canada’s Therapeutic Products Directorate, the session will address significant imminent changes for the industry and regulators alike, focusing on topics such as strategic risk management, class-action lawsuits and patient home care.

To find out more about the event and to register, visit DIA’s Annual Canadian Meeting website.

ABOUT DIA: DIA is a neutral, global, professional and 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; Beijing, China; Washington, D.C.; and Latin America. Visit our website at www.diahome.org and follow DIA at: LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Flickr and Pinterest.

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