Bahrain to host major pharmaceutical event

Manama, Oct. 18 (BNA): Bahrain will host one of the biggest pharmaceutical events in the region to discuss Biologic Agents - the hot topic of today’s medicines - under the patronage of Lt- General Dr. Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Khalifa, President of the Supreme Council for Health. Organized by Bahrain Pharmacists’ Society and Expressions Marketing Communications, the "Biologics Conference: Where are we now?" will be held on October 26- 27. Many of today’s important medications are biological products, which are made from living organisms. Biological products are manufactured through biotechnology, derived from natural sources or, in some cases, produced synthetically. They are used to treat conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, anemia, low white blood cell counts, inflammatory bowel disease, skin conditions such as psoriasis and various forms of cancer. Bio-similars are a type of biological product that are licensed (approved) by FDA because they are highly similar to an already FDA-approved biological product, known as the biological reference product (reference product), and have been shown to have no clinically meaningful differences from the reference product. The Conference will discuss the Biologic Agents development, regulation and the latest technologies in this field. It will also discuss their efficiency and uses to cure different types of diseases. Integrated and interactive sessions and workshops will take place over these 2 action-packed days. It will bring together a record number of regional and national experts to discuss and debate the latest research in the field of biologic Agents. Attending the Conference will shift the participants’ paradigm of the biologic agents as compared to the conventional medications. The Biologics Conference is organized in cooperation with the Supreme Council for Health and the Saudi Pharmaceutical Society, and it received the support from related regional NGOs and medical companies. The Platinum sponsor for the Conference is ABBVIE, gold sponsor is both brands JANSSEN and PFIZER. "The Conference is expected to attract over 500 professionals in the pharmaceutical and medical fields from Bahrain and the GCC to exceed all expectations", said Bahrain Pharmacists Society, head of the conference organizing committee Yasser Sakhir. He adds: "The Society is organizing these important events to spread the knowledge, share experiences and expand the capacity of doctors, nurses and pharmacists for developing medical healthcare services. The Conference also encourages research in the medical field and to promote Bahrain as the region’s pioneer in medical and scientific events. The Biologics Conference is organized in partnership with the Saudi Pharmaceutical Society. Professor Ibrahim Al Sarra, Professor of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology in King Saud University and the SPS President express his joy to be part of another exciting conference and says:" The conference is a valuable opportunity for all concerned pharmaceuticals, biological, bio-medicines to get to know what these drugs and their effectiveness for the patient and clinical applications of scientific and practical perspective." He adds:" The SPS is eager to support leading medical and pharmaceutical events in the region where it will be possible to recognize the benefits of this vital alternatives and challenges facing the use at the regional and international level. Five Saudi speakers will present papers in biological and bio-pharmaceutical studies and latest developments in these fields. As for the Conference setup and arrangements, Aseel Al-Mohandis from Expressions Marketing Communications, the event organizer of the Conference, shares insight on the logistics. She explains:" Such a huge Conference needs months of preparation. We have worked closely with the Bahrain Pharmacists’ Society for the past 8 months to plan the unique Biologics Conference and market it well regionally. The Conference will attract over 500 participants, 15 regional speakers, and lots of active interaction with panels, lectures and workshops. In conclusion, Pharmacist Yaser Sakheer expressed his thanks and appreciation on behalf of the Society for the Supreme Council for Health, all supporting organizations, sponsors, speakers and participants, and looking forward for a very fruitful and informative Conference next week. Special thanks also go to Wael Pharmacy who have been supporting many events.