Over 80% of all pharmaceutical products are in the solid dosage form. Particulate processes therefore abound in the pharmaceutical industry. These include crystallization; drying, granulation, and coating; tablet compaction; fine powder transport, mixing, and blending. These and other particulate processes are used for the large-scale manufacture of tablets and capsules as well as dry powder inhalants for public consumption. As such, efficient handling and processing of particulates is critical to meeting the stringent guidelines set by the FDA and profitable manufacture of pharmaceutical products. Failed batches can mean the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue needed to payback the tremendous up-front investment that is inherent in drug development. A recent US-FDA report on the pharmaceutical industry estimated that worldwide cost savings from manufacturing improvements could be as high as US$ 90 billion per year.
The particulate-based manufacturing processes need to be better understood so that they can be properly designed and controlled. The last decade has seen a shift from empirical formulation efforts to an engineering approach based on a better understanding of particulate behaviours in various processes, facilitated by technological advances in computer modelling, manufacture and measurement techniques.
This conference, by bringing together researchers from industry and academia, will be showcasing and demonstrating how the latest R&D in particulate processing can be applied to pharmaceutical industrial design and optimisation as well as how they can cater to emerging regulatory needs. A combination of oral presentations, poster sessions, and workshops will demonstrate the existing expertise and establish future research needs. This will be a perfect opportunity for participants to learn more about the latest trends in particulate process in pharmaceutical unit operations as well as a chance to interact and share their experience with others. Research collaborations will be forged to meet these needs.
The PPPI-III conference will continue the tradition of previous conferences with the well balanced focuses on both fundamental research and industrial application of particulate processing. It will also expand into emerging techniques and applications. The following lists key themes for this conference:
Theme 1 - Particle Synthesis, Crystallisation, Coating and Drying
Theme 2 - Particle Packing, Granulation and Compaction
Theme 3 - Powder Flow and Dispersion, Mixing/Blending and Handling
Theme 4 - Emerging Research Techniques (e.g. numerical modelling and PAT) and Applications
Conference Publication
Submission of conference papers: If abstracts are accepted for oral presentation, authors are required to submit draft papers which will be included in the non-refereed conference proceeding.
Submission of final papers: Final papers should be submitted no later than one month after the conference. The papers will be reviewed and, if accepted, will be published in the special issues of selected journals, such as Powder Technology.
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