Respiratory Drug Delivery 2008 - In Review

Respiratory Drug Delivery 2008 was held at the Westin Kierland Resort and Spa, Scottsdale, Arizona, during May 11-15, 2008. With over 780 participants, it was the most successful pulmonary and nasal delivery conference organized by Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy, to date. RDD 2008 drew together attendees from all over the world (58% USA and Canada, 37% Europe and 5% Australasia, India, China and South America). As in previous years, pharmaceutical industry participants made up the bulk of the audience (47% Research & Development, 21% Sales, Marketing and Business professionals, 10% Management, 2% Regulatory and 7% Engineers, Process / Packaging, QbD) but we saw increased academic participation (13% Academic) in what continues to emerge as a thriving field of scientific and clinical endeavor. This year's meeting format was especially well suited to networking between scientists, clinicians, managers, suppliers and service providers who regularly attend RDD conferences to remain up to date with the latest advances in pulmonary and nasal drug delivery and meet their key contacts in a relaxed atmosphere. 

The organizers of the meeting and Virginia Commonwealth University were  honored to award the 2008 “Charles G. Thiel Award”, endowed at VCU by 3M Drug Delivery Systems, for outstanding research and discovery in respiratory drug delivery to Lars Borgström of AstraZeneca.  

Professor Peter Barnes, from Imperial College, London, opened the conference with a thought provoking insight into 'New Treatments for COPD and the Issue of Drug Delivery'. Top-quality speakers and panelists provided innovative perspectives on the treatment of obstructed airways, reviewed innovations in aerosol therapy and progress in pulmonary drug disposition, and addressed the impact of mucociliary clearance on drug development. The meeting sought to define appropriate quality attributes in orally inhaled drug products and their interrelationships through in vivo-in vitro correlations. A workshop (soon to be available online as a series of audio lectures and synchronized Powerpoint slides) addressed the regulatory requirements associated with demonstrating therapeutic equivalence of inhaled corticosteroids in different markets.

Other experts shared their insights on the use of modeling to streamline inhaler development, advances in nasal drug delivery, possible applications of QbD and PAT in inhaled product development and advances in formulation and processing. 

You judged Posters on the Podium to be a success at RDD 2006, so it was back again this year alongside RDD’s signature Technology Exhibition and Scientific Poster Session. We hosted more than 90 company displays in the Technology Exhibition making it our largest forum ever. 

Peer reviewed papers from all the speaker presentations, as well as 147 extended poster abstracts are available electronically and hard copies of the proceedings can be purchased on RDD Online.

The organizers thank all our presenters, exhibitors, and sponsors for their contribution to RDD 2008, and we look forward to meeting you all again at Respiratory Drug Delivery Europe 2009 at the Corinthia Hotel, in Lisbon, Portugal May 19-22, 2009.