Express Pharma hosts first ever FDD Leadership Awards

Recognise and honour contribution of leading scientists in furthering research and innovation in the field of formulation development and drug delivery

Express Pharma hosted the first ever FDD Leadership Awards to recognise the stellar achievements of Indian scientists and R&D heads of reputed institutions and organisations for outstanding research and innovation in the field of formulation development and drug delivery. Ideal Cures was the Presenting Partner for the awards.

Held concurrently with the FDD Conclave, on June 16, 2017, at Novotel Airport, Hyderabad, the awards night began with an address by Viveka Roychowdhury, Editor, Express Pharma, who welcomed the delegates, explained the rationale behind the initiative and elaborated on the methodology of the awards.

Subsequently, Roychowdhury, alongwith Ravi Uday Bhaskar, Director General, Pharmexcil and Suresh Pareek, MD, Ideal Cures, alongwith the eminent jury of FDD Leadership Awards 2017 – Vinod Kumar Arora, Principal Advisor, Institute of Good Manufacturing Practices India; Dr Girish Jain, President, Research and Development, Alkem Laboratories; Seetaraju Gembali, Director, GSR Pharma Research and Pramod Pimplikar, Managing Director, Shalina Laboratories, presented the awards to the winners.

15 leading professionals received the FDD Leadership Award for Outstanding Achievement in Formulation Development and Drug Delivery. The winners of this category (in alphabetical order) are as follows:

• Arun Kumar Pandey – Senior Vice President, Alkem Laboratories
• Ashish Gogia, Executive Vice President, R&D, Medreich
• Geena Malhotra, Global Head of Integrated Product Development,
  Cipla (The award was received by Vaibhav Deshmukh, Associate Director, Cipla)
• Dr Jayant Karajgi, Chief Scientific Officer, Wockhardt. (The award was
  received by Dr Ajay Handa, Senior Vice President, Wockhardt)
• Jaya Abraham, Head – Formulation/Biopharmaceutics/Reverse Engineering Analytics, IPR Landscaping and Strategy design, Packaging, Torrent Pharma
• Dr Krishna Murthy Bhavanasi‎, GM-Formulation R&D, Natco Pharma
• Makarand Avachat, Senior Vice President, Pharma Research, Lupin
• Rajesh Kshirsagar, Chief Technical Officer, Microlabs
• Ravinder K, Senior Director, Head of PSAI Formulations, DRL
• Dr Shirish Kulkarni, Senior Vice President, R&D Sun Pharma. India
• Srikant Pimple, Head Formulation development, Unichem
• Dr Sukhjeet Singh, Senior Vice President – Pharma Research, Panacea Biotec
• Sushrut Kulkarni, Senior Vice President & Head Pharmaceutical Technology Center, Zydus Cadila
• Ulhas R Dhuppad, Executive Vice President (CMC); Glenmark Pharmaceuticals
• Dr Vijay Sinh Chauhan, Senior Vice President – Research and Development (Formulation Finish Products), Intas Pharma

The Lifetime Achievement Award went to the doyen of this field, Dr Himadri Sen, Chairman, SteerLife India. He received a standing ovation for tracing a glorious career and creating a proud legacy for the other FDD professionals to carry on. Many of the attendees at the conclave had worked and been mentored by Dr Sen in the course of his career. All of them joined him on the stage to celebrate his moment of glory and make it more memorable.

The jury members were also felicitated to convey by Express Pharma and Ideal Cures. The events night came to close on a celebratory note and ended with a gala dinner.