“Interesting Times” Ahead at IFPAC 2006

February’s IFPAC conference promises to be a who’s who of process analytical technology cognoscenti, and what’s what of the latest technologies and issues. The conference, Feb. 20-23 at the Marriott Crystal Gateway in Arlington, Va., will bring together industry, academia, regulators and vendors to discuss and debate new trends in measuring technology. For the career-development-minded, concurrent sessions will educate listeners on PAT implementation, technology and principles.A short course and workshop will be held on Sunday and Monday on “The Role of Chemometrics and Process Control in Pharmaceutical Process Analytical Technologies (PAT),” taught by Paul Gemperline of East Carolina University, Karlene Hoo, of Texas Tech University, and Michael Piovoso of Penn State, Malvern.Opening the event on Tuesday, Feb. 21 will be a plenary session, chaired by Jeff Gunnell, from ExxonMobil Chemical Co. and Chris Watts, of FDA’s CDER and PAT Team, that will focus on “Process Understanding During Interesting Times.”On Tuesday afternoon, in a session cosponsored by ASTM, FDA’s Ali Afnan and Erin McCaffery will offer ground rules on how take a systemic approach to PAT, emphasizing the importance of viewing analysis broadly, to integrate chemical, physical, microbiological, mathematical and risk analysis concepts.Other sessions that afternoon will examine:

• Advanced instrumentation concepts, including miniaturization, advanced diode lasers and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, as well as calorimetry and Raman scattering sensors;
  
  
• Developments in safety sensors for pharmaceutical and chemical applications, including new molecular sensor technologies;
  
  
• Innovations and applications of mass spectrometry, in a program that will be chaired by Steve Doherty and Kelsey Cook;
  
  
• Raman spectroscopy for process analysis, in a session chaired by Brian Marquardt.

Tuesday evening will offer a panel discussion on process control, exploring the synergistic relationship between control and PAT. Meanwhile, Walter Henslee and Mel Koch will moderate an open forum on training and professional development.On Wednesday, Feb. 22, concurrent sessions will focus on:

• Chemical Imaging, chaired by Steve Hammond of Pfizer;
  
  
• Medical Gas Production and Certification for Drug Manufacturing, chaired by Frank Schweighardt;
  
  
• Life Cycle Management of Analyzer and Method Reliability, chaired by Steve Jacobs, Steve Hammond and Gert Thurau;
  
  
• Process Understanding, Control and Quality, chaired by Troy Francisco, J.D. Tate and Joe Andrisani;
  
  
• PAT for Pharma, Biotech and Food Applications, chaired by Rick Cooley.

That same afternoon will offer the following:

• Knowledge Management and Continuous Improvement, chaired by Gawayne Mahboubian-Jones;
  
  
• An update on NeSSI, chaired by Mel Koch, Jeff Gunnell and Rob DuBois;
  
  
• Life Cycle Management of Analyzer and Method Reliability chaired by Steve Jacobs, Steve Hammond and Gert Thurau;
  
  
• PAT, Chemometrics and Process Systems and Real-Time Monitoring, chaired by Theodora Kourti and Brian Rohrback;
  
  
• Advanced Separation for PAT, chaired by Rick Cooley and John Crandall;
  
  
• Process Absorbance Spectroscopy, chaired by George Vickers and Ron Hoffman.

A poster session will be held Wednesday as well. Additional abstracts will be accepted until December 20.On Thursday morning, the following will be among the program offerings:

• PAT for Biologics Manufacturing, chaired by Parrish Galliher;
  
  
• New Technology in Vibrational Spectroscopy, chaired by John Coates;
  
  
• PAT Implementations and Examples in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing.

In the afternoon, programs will focus on process sampling and wireless applications, among other topics.For more information, visit www.ifpac.com/IFPAC06. Travel discounts are available via American and Continental Airlines.