Registration is open for DDL 2022, which will be the first in-person Drug Delivery to the Lungs meeting since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The meeting will take place December 7-9 and is expected to attract hundreds of delegates to the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC), with additional delegates able to access the programming online in real time. In-person delegates will also enjoy an industry exhibition featuring almost 100 companies, approximately 80 scientific posters, and numerous networking opportunities.
DDL Conference Chair Gary Pitcairn says that everyone is excited to return to in-person meetings after the online-only versions of DDL in 2020 and 2021: “The meeting we put on is all about the science, and that’s what drives us; but DDL is more than that: it’s the people; it’s the posters, it’s being in Edinburgh; it’s everything combined. It’s kind of like the industry’s end of year party, and we are over the moon at the thought of getting back.”
Earlier this year, Pitcairn acknowledges, the committee considered whether to scale back DDL 2022 because they worried that the non-profit meeting would lose money if people stayed away; however, reassurances from the venue regarding safety helped convince them that a full meeting could work. He points out that the EICC has had great experience handling events during the pandemic and is equipped to make sure that the meeting runs safely: “Their competence and confidence has greatly reassured us, and we are delighted we decided to go ahead.”
The risk has paid off, he adds, pointing to the record number of Platinum sponsors (13) and the 15 Gold sponsors as evidence of the industry’s level of excitement about the return to Edinburgh. In addition, the number of Silver sponsors is similar to that at DDL 2019, the last in-person meeting. “It’s nice to hear people say that they are excited for the meeting,” he says, “but having sponsors actually put their money where their mouth is to underwrite the cost of the conference is fantastic.”
Pitcairn also wanted to acknowledge the work of Sheila Coates and Nikki Evans who handle much of the organization for the meeting and who have developed great relationships with the sponsors. They also took the lead in figuring out how to run the online versions of DDL the past few years, he notes: “The professionalism and hard work that they have put in to keep DDL alive through very trying times is fantastic, especially because there wasn’t a chance to meet, and it was an awful lot of hard work behind the scenes. And our gratitude that we are here now delivering this conference is huge.”
As with a number of previous iterations of DDL, the opening of DDL 2022 will be preceded by a workshop sponsored by a partner organization, in this case a workshop organized by the APS. The workshop on “Nasal Biopharmaceutics: fit for current and future drug delivery needs?” will take place on the morning of December 7 and will feature six talks on topics from modeling and characterization of nasal biopharmaceutics through to clinical development, plus a panel discussion on “Gaps in biopharmaceutics for nasal delivery.” Attendance at the workshop requires registration that is a separate process from the DDL registration; registration for the workshop is free for students and £50 for everyone else.
