PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar 18, 2025--
On March 15, 2025, SAPA-GP ( https://sapagp.org/ ) hosted its 23rd Annual Conference at the Sheraton Valley Forge Hotel, northwest of Philadelphia. As one of the region’s largest professional gatherings, the event attracted over 500 life scientists, pharmaceutical professionals, investors, business executives, as well as many sponsors.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250317956787/en/
Fifty-eight distinguished speakers from both industry and academia delivered presentations across six parallel tracks and three panel discussions. Topics spanned next-generation drug discovery and innovative clinical development, AI and data science in pharmaceutical innovation, global business strategies / NewCo, and career soft skills. Dr. Robert Iannone, Global Head of R&D and Chief Medical Officer at Jazz Pharmaceuticals, delivered the keynote address on Jazz R&D strategy.
The conference featured ample networking opportunities with interactive lunch showcases, receptions, and panel discussions designed to spark collaboration. The exclusive President Reception fostered strategic discussions and nurture future partnerships. Notable highlights included the inaugural scientific poster session and the much-acclaimed pre-conference workshop on LLMs and Generative AI. Additionally, the event reached out to the high school community with the debut High School Students Business Pitch Competition, generating significant enthusiasm and high-quality business proposals from local students.
SAPA-GP also announced a leadership transition at the event. Dr. Lu Wang, Director of Process Development at Spark Therapeutics, Inc., was named the new SAPA-GP President. Dr. Xinjun Zhang, Associate Principal Scientist and Biology Lead, was elected President Elect for 2026-2027. Immediate-past President Dr. Yufeng Li, Senior Director of Clinical Sciences at Vivace Therapeutics, honored key volunteers with leadership awards, recognizing their significant contributions to SAPA-GP’s mission. Moreover, 22 students received the SAPA-GP Song Li scholarship.
“I’m immensely proud of our volunteers for creating an inspiring environment where innovative ideas are exchanged and meaningful connections are forged,” said Dr. Lu Wang, the current SAPA-GP president (2025-2026).
The SAPA-GP Annual Conference underscored SAPA-GP’s unwavering commitment to advancing the biopharma landscape in the greater Philadelphia area.
About SAPA-GP
Founded in 2002, SAPA-GP’s mission is to promote pharmaceutical sciences and biotechnology, facilitate scientific and business cooperation, and foster the career development of pharmaceutical professionals. With over 4,000 members, each year SAPA-GP hosts many programs in science, technology, business, and career development. It exercises increasing influence in shaping favorable business environments in the Greater Philadelphia area.
Dr. Robert Iannone, Global Head of R&D and Chief Medical Officer at Jazz Pharmaceuticals, delivered the keynote address
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — An international United Nations staffer was killed and five others were wounded in a strike Wednesday on a U.N. guesthouse in the Gaza Strip.
Jorge Moreira da Silva, head of the U.N. Office for Project Services, declined to say who carried out the strike in the central city of Deir al-Balah but said the explosive ordnance was “dropped or fired” and the blast was not accidental or related to demining activity.
He did not provide the nationalities of those killed and wounded. The U.N. body, known as UNOPS, carries our infrastructure and development projects around the world.
The Israeli military, which has carried out a heavy wave of airstrikes since early Tuesday, denied earlier reports that it had targeted the U.N. compound.
But Moreira da Silva said strikes had hit near the compound on Monday and struck it directly on Tuesday and again on Wednesday, when the staffer was killed. He said the agency had contacted the Israeli military after the first strike and confirmed that it was aware of the facility's location.
“Israel knew this was a U.N. premise, that people were living, staying and working there," he said.
There have been no reports of rocket fire or other Palestinian militant attacks since Israel unleashed the airstrikes overnight and into Tuesday, ending a ceasefire that took hold in January. The Israeli bombardment continued into Wednesday, though at a lower intensity.
The Gaza Health Ministry said at least 436 people, including 183 children and 94 women, have been killed since Israel launched the strikes early Tuesday. It said another 678 people have been wounded.
The military says it only strikes militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas because it operates in densely populated areas. Gaza's Health Ministry records do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
Frankel reported from Jerusalem and Magdy from Cairo.
Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
Israelis march on a highway toward Jerusalem to protest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plans to dismiss the head of the Shin Bet internal security service, on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
An injured United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) worker is taken into the al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital after an explosion in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, Wednesday March 19, 2025.(AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
An injured United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) worker is taken into the al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital after an explosion in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, Wednesday March 19, 2025.(AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
An injured United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) worker is taken into the al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital after an explosion in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, Wednesday March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
The body of United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) worker is taken into the al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital after an explosion in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, Wednesday March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
The body of United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) worker is taken into the al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital after an explosion in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, Wednesday March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Smoke rises following an Israeli bombardment in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
An injured United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) worker is taken into the al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital after an explosion in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, Wednesday March 19, 2025.(AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
An injured United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) worker is treated at the al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital after an explosion in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, Wednesday March 19, 2025.(AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
An injured United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) worker is taken into the al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital after an explosion in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, Wednesday March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Smoke rises following an Israeli bombardment in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
