The Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) will be holding this year’s version of the essential sector-defining Biopharmaceutical Formulation Group (BFG) meetings at Manchester’s Centre of Excellence in Biopharmaceuticals (COEBP) in the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB) on the 11th July 2019.

The BFG brings together professionals and practitioners from industry and academia to disseminate and share best practice and highlight areas of need for this sector. The group holds regular meetings to educate, network and influence professionals and practitioners from the field of biopharmaceutical formulation.

The next BFG meeting will address the diversification of the products within the biopharmaceutical portfolio, and how fundamental science and understanding developed by the UK formulation community is directing towards effective and predictive solutions for formulation of new biologics and therapeutic formats. The meeting will feature a selection of speakers who represent the many facets of the modern formulation sector from the biopharma field and beyond.

The structural complexity of traditional biopharmaceuticals, such as monoclonal antibodies, means that the formulation development of the ever-increasing and diversifying portfolio of such molecules remains challenging and requires continued innovation to accelerate development timelines. In recent years the development of next generation biomedicines (cell and gene therapies, antibody drug conjugates and nucleic acid therapeutics) challenges the embedded methods of formulation development, designed around optimisation of protein therapeutics. This meeting will present on the fundamentals and application of formulation development for existing and emerging biomedicines.

In addition to oral presentations there will be an opportunity to present posters. Selected poster presenters will be invited to present a poster flash and there will be prizes for the best posters. To support attendance of early careers scientists (PhD or first three years of post-doc or industry), we will offer a number of bursaries to support their cost of travel and hotel accommodation. We are grateful to our sponsors who have ensured that the KTN will deliver this as a free event for the biopharmaceutical formulation sector. A more detailed programme will be published soon.

1-2-1 Partnering

There will be an opportunity through partnering software to set up 1-2-1 meetings on the day at various networking times, to maximise opportunities for interaction and future collaborations. We hope that you can make the most of this and please do engage and accept meetings where possible.

Call for Posters

There will be a chance for researchers to present posters. Please note your interest on registration and use the free text box to indicate title and short descriptor. Deadline for your expression of interest is the 26th June 2019.

Early career bursaries

If you are an early career scientist (student or first three years of post-doc or industry) and wish to be considered for a bursary to support travel and accommodation, please note this at registration. Bursary recipients are required to present a poster (deadline 26th June 2019).

Further information

Please note, places for this event are limited and if the meeting is oversubscribed, places will be prioritised for those who are technical practitioners in the sector. Registration deadline is 3rd July 2019.

For any queries please contact Marcel Kuiper, Knowledge Transfer Manager – Health.

Formulation solutions for diversifying biopharmaceutical portfolios