Dr Gerberding to Open AAPS PharmSci 360 on Redesigning Drug Development

The American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) will open its 2026 PharmSci 360 meeting on October 25 with a plenary on making the drug development pipeline more efficient, according to an AAPS press release issued October 22, 2026.¹ The speaker, Julie Louise Gerberding, MD, MPH, president and CEO of the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH), will give her talk, titled "Adaptive Intelligence: Accelerating Biomedical Innovation." PharmSci 360 will run October 25-28 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.¹

"Everyone wants faster drug development. The real challenge is not simply accelerating individual activities but redesigning the development paradigm itself," said Parag Kolhe, PhD, chair of the AAPS 2026 PharmSci 360 Scientific Programming Committee, in the press release.¹ "Dr Gerberding will share a compelling vision for a more cyclical, parallel, and integrated approach that has the potential to compress timelines while preserving scientific rigor and quality."

What will Dr Gerberding's plenary cover?

The talk will focus on integrating emerging approaches to product development, including novel alternative methods, artificial intelligence (AI), and adaptive trial innovations, to improve the efficiency and safety of translational medicine.¹ Dr Gerberding previously directed the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2002 to 2009 and has held executive roles at Merck.²

How does the theme connect to regulatory change?

The plenary's emphasis on alternative methods tracks a shift at FDA. On April 10, 2025, the agency announced a plan to phase out animal testing requirements for monoclonal antibodies and other drugs. The plan encourages new approach methodologies such as AI-based computational models of toxicity and laboratory tests using cell lines and organoids.³ FDA has said it would welcome such data in investigational new drug applications, beginning with monoclonal antibody therapies.³

PharmSci 360’s program reflects similar themes. On October 28, Thomas Hartung, MD, PhD, of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, will lead an innovator-curated track on new testing approaches, including AI applications, organ-on-a-chip models, and neural organoids.²

What else is on the program?

David Berry, MD, PhD, managing partner at Averin Capital, will deliver the closing plenary on October 28.² A 2.5-day workshop run under an AAPS–US Pharmacopeia collaboration will take place October 26-28. It will cover complex generics, excipient quality, inhalation standards, emerging standards, and novel excipients.² On October 26, Brian Nosek, PhD, of the Center for Open Science will lead a 6-session track on credibility in peer-reviewed research, including identifying problematic papers, verifying citations, and the ethical use of AI.²

Who is guiding AAPS's scientific direction?

Ahead of the meeting, AAPS named former president Patrick J. Sinko, PhD, RPh, as chief science officer. In that role, he will set the association's overall scientific strategy, guide programming across in-person and digital formats, and direct its peer-reviewed journals.⁴ "AAPS has long been the intellectual home for pharmaceutical scientists across academia, industry, and regulatory agencies," Dr Sinko said in an AAPS press release issued about his appointment.⁴ He will retain his post as distinguished professor and Parke-Davis Endowed chair in Pharmaceutics at the Rutgers Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy.⁴ AAPS has more than 7000 members and publishes 4 peer-reviewed journals.¹

What are the limitations?

PharmSci 360 session schedules, speakers, and rooms may change, and attendees should confirm details in the official AAPS program.² AAPS did not announce specific programming changes tied to Dr Sinko's appointment.⁴

Explore more conference coverage here.

References

1. American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists. AAPS PharmSci 360 opening session explores how to build a more efficient pipeline. Press release. Published October 22, 2026. Accessed October 23, 2026. https://www.aaps.org/aaps/news/media/opening-session-2026
2. Mirasol F. AAPS PharmSci 360 preview: plenaries, USP workshop, curated tracks. BioPharm International. Published October 21, 2026. Accessed October 23, 2026. https://www.biopharminternational.com/view/aaps-pharmsci-360-2026-preview
3. FDA. FDA announces plan to phase out animal testing requirement for monoclonal antibodies and other drugs. Press release. Published April 10, 2025. Accessed October 23, 2026. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-announces-plan-phase-out-animal-testing-requirement-monoclonal-antibodies-and-other-drugs
4. Schoenthaler E. AAPS names Patrick Sinko chief science officer ahead of PharmSci 360 2026. BioPharm International. Published October 20, 2026. Accessed October 23, 2026. https://www.biopharminternational.com/view/aaps-names-patrick-sinko-chief-science-officer-ahead-of-pharmsci-360-2026