On 12 and 13 September, the 12th International VPM Days took place at TWINCORE in Hannover. More than 20 international speakers and almost 100 visitors accepted the invitation of <link https: www.vpm-consult.com en external-link-new-window of>Vakzine Projekt Management GmbH (VPM).
The headline of the meeting was “Transforming ground-breaking ideas into life-saving medication”. “This exactly describes the core of our work,” says Dr. Leander Grode, CEO of Hannover-based VPM. “And as in previous years, we have heard a number of excellent talks.”
The keynote lecture of the first day was given by Prof. Thomas Pietschmann of TWINCORE about genetic determinants of respiratory syncytial virus infection. This lung disease is particularly dangerous for newborns. Afterwards experts from science, industry as well as authorities shared their latest insights on translational research and vaccine development.
The second day was focused on clinical product development and on legal aspects of intellectual property management. Prof. Stephan H. Kaufmann from the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology held the keynote lecture on the use of biosignatures for the prediction of tuberculosis. Umesh Shaligram presented the extensive portfolio of Serum Institute of India. Serum Institute is the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer and main shareholder of VPM since 2018.
“VPM Days have developed to be a fixed event at TWINCORE,” says Prof. Ulrich Kalinke, Executive Director of TWINCORE. “While our own TWINCORE Symposium shows the early translational steps from the idea to the first candidates, VPM Days have a clear focus on the development of candidates towards clinical trials and market access. The strong resonance shows once more which significance translational research and development has gained in our region as well as internationally.”