Impact Xcelerator-BI Pharma-X Collider: cross-disciplinary collaboration yields breakthrough solutions in drug discovery
IE Sci Tech Dean Ikhlaq Sidhu leads Impact Xcelerator event at Boehringer Ingelheim to tackle complex challenges in drug discovery, clinical trials, and regulatory approvals.
Impact Xcelerator-BI Pharma-X Collider, an event led by the Dean of IE School of Science and Technology (Sci Tech), Ikhlaq Sidhu took place on October 21st at Boehringer Ingelheim’s new innovation hub in Germany. This initiative, with more than 150 attendees in person and online, brought together leaders from the pharmaceutical industry, academia, and regulatory agencies and sought to address the growing complexities in drug discovery, clinical trials, and regulatory approval.
The Pharma-X Collider, a distinctive platform for collaboration, was designed to break down silos between industry players, researchers and regulatory bodies, while discussing innovative solutions to shorten time-to-market for life-saving drugs, and create more efficient pathways for personalized therapies.
Ikhlaq Sidhu, Dean of the IE School of Science and Technology said, “Through Pharma-X we’ve brought together leaders in Pharma, world-class faculty, innovators, and experts to tackle one of the most pressing challenges in healthcare: streamlining the drug approval process and igniting transformative approaches in research, teaching, and the development of practical solutions. Let’s keep building on this momentum to bring innovative therapies to those who need them the most."
A cornerstone of the event was the presentation of state-of-the-art research findings about the drug approval process by the Dean, followed by the panel discussion featuring leading experts from across the globe including David Schaffer, Professor at UC Berkeley and Director of QB3 and Bakar BioEnginuity Hub, Dr. Fausto Pinto, Professor of Cardiology, Lydia Sohn, Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Bioengineering at UC Berkeley and Co-Founder of Nodexus, Pepe Zamorano, a spanish leading cardiologist, and Alexandra Gonçalvez, Vice President and Head of Digital Health at Bristol Myers Squibb.
Dr. Paul Pretraro, Executive Director of Real-World Evidence Analytics, emphasized the importance of collaboration in the drug approval process, noting, "The Boehringer Pharma-X Collider event with IE university showcased the only way to be successful in leveraging innovative technology and AI in the drug approval process requires, if not demands strong collaboration from diverse backgrounds and expertise. This was seen during the event through discussion from industry, academics, and policy makers from various disciplines. There was great dialogue and discussion throughout."
For professionals in the pharmaceutical, biotech, and regulatory sectors, attending the event was an unparalleled opportunity to gain firsthand insights from industry thought leaders; learning about cutting-edge research, and contributing to breakthrough solutions in drug discovery and clinical trials.
As the global healthcare landscape continues to evolve, the Pharma-X Collider is poised to remain at the forefront of efforts by the School of Sci-Tech and BI to drive innovation and accelerate the development of life-saving therapies.