The Sino-American Pharmaceutical Professionals Association-Greater Philadelphia (SAPA-GP) Hosted the 2023 Annual Conference

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Dr. Virginia Lee keynote speech on March 31, 2023 (Photo: Business Wire)

For one and half days, sixty-eight speakers made more than eighty presentations in eight parallel tracks, covering wide ranging topics affecting the biopharma industry, including drug discovery and development, clinical development and regulatory, promoting patient access using real-world evidence, business, career development, compensation and labor law, diversity and inclusion, as well as company showcases. Dr. Virginia Lee, Penn professor and 2022 Clarivate Citation Laureate, opened the conference with her keynote speech “Transmission of Misfolded Proteins in Neurodegenerative Disorders”. It was followed by Dr. Tim Opler, partner & co-founder of Torreya, whose plenary speech offered a thought-provoking analysis on the future growth potential of the biopharma industry. The second day plenary session featured Amir Kalali, M.D., Founder & Co-Chair of the Decentralized Trials and Research Alliance, who shed a light on the future of game-changing decentralized clinical trials, and Dr. Joga Gobburu, professor at the University of Maryland, CEO of Pumas-AI, and founder/president of Vivpro Corp, who shared his insight on model-informed drug development.

To capture the new reality of the biopharma industry, the 2023 annual conference featured a balanced programming on science, technology, business, and career development. In addition, the conference offered ample networking opportunities over lunch, dinner, reception, coffee break, and round table discussion. It was built into the event programming to encourage attendees from all walks of the industry to foster invaluable connections with each other.

The conference also enacted the transition of SAPA-GP leadership team, with Dr. Yang Yuan, Associate Director, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, coming in as the new president. Haichen Yang, M.D., MBA, outgoing president of SAPA-GP, presented awards to a group of volunteers to honor their contributions to the organization’s successes. To recognize his long-standing strong support and generous sponsorship, Dr. Song Li, Executive Chairman of Frontage Laboratories’ Board of Directors, was inducted into the SAPA-GP Hall of Fame as its inaugural member. He presented the Song-Li Scholarship award to Jason Wang from Yale University and Eric Han from Duke University.

“Industry conferences tend to be narrowly focused. Our annual conference stands out as a big tent event. People came to gather information and build connections across fields and disciplines. It’s an ideal platform for industry newcomers and aspiring biotech entrepreneurs as well.” commented Dr. Haichen Yang, VP at Amicus Therapeutics, and the outgoing president of SAPA-GP (2022-2023).

“The SAPA-GP annual conference is a showcase of cutting-edge research and innovation in the field of biopharmaceuticals, bringing together leading scientists, industry experts, seasoned entrepreneurs and investors from the tri state area.” said Dr. Yang Yuan, Associate Director, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, and the incoming SAPA-GP President (2023-2024).

The 2023 SAPA-GP Annual Conference was an invigorating community gathering of life scientists, pharmaceutical professionals, and business executives representing all backgrounds, experiences, and achievements. It was marked by high quality and sophistication of the speakers, enthusiastic and engaging audience, as well as the depth and breadth of topics covered, with accolade coming from many attendees and sponsors. SAPA-GP looks forward to advancing its mission and promoting positive changes for the biopharma ecosystem in the greater Philadelphia region.

About SAPA-GP

Founded in 2002, SAPA-GP’s mission is to promote pharmaceutical sciences and biotechnology, facilitate scientific and business cooperation, and foster the career development of pharmaceutical professionals. With over 4,000 members, each year SAPA-GP hosts many programs in science, technology, business, and career development. It exercises increasing influence in shaping favorable business environments in the Greater Philadelphia area.

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