In a joint announcement, John Bournas, President and CEO, the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE), and Richard Johnson, President and CEO, the Parenteral Drug Association (PDA), released the following statement on behalf of their organizations:

“The pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical community faces many challenges in our changing global environment. New technologies are required for manufacturing and control of a more diverse product portfolio; new techniques are needed for managing a global supply chain; and regular information is needed about the changing regulatory landscape.

“Fortunately, there are non-profit organizations that work through their members to educate our industry, and also work together to define and disseminate consensus guidance and best practices. Non-profit organizations fund these activities through membership dues, publication sales, and, in large part, through registration fees from education conferences and training courses. We pride ourselves on providing neutral, high-quality, and reliable information to our members and attendees.

“Today, we see an increasing number of for-profit conference organizers who duplicate the content developed by non-profit organizations, employ aggressive marketing techniques, and charge high prices for that content. This siphons much needed support from non-profit organizations such as ours.

“As leaders of two global member-driven organizations, ISPE and PDA, with nearly 30,000 members between us, we value the support that the community gives us. We are committed to fulfilling our missions, to guide our members and stakeholders towards using the best science and engineering to continue to provide high-quality, safe, and effective medicines to serve patients.

“Furthermore, we are committed to continuing our collaborations that provide unbiased platforms for dialogue, such as in cross-industry initiatives and inter-association groups, among others, that benefit the global pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical community.”