PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--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.
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.
Contacts
Bill Lu
VP of Partnership and Head of PR, SAPA-GP
bill.lu@sapa-gp.org
