Amidst these incredibly exciting yet deeply challenging times in global healthcare - from gene therapy, to access to treatment, to drug development for rare diseases - 7,000 healthcare product development professionals from over 50 countries will come together at DIA 2019, the global annual meeting of DIA (founded as the Drug Information Association), to tackle some of the thorniest issues facing the world of health.

Running from June 23-27 in San Diego, CA, the DIA 2019 Global Annual Meeting will feature a keynote speech from Gary Gibbons, MD, Director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Gibbon’s keynote speech, Advancing Discovery Science for Public Health Impact, will address the value of “implementation science,” which turns “discovery science” into practical means to improve peoples’ health, as well as the innovation of evidence-based initiatives in the treatment of chronic disease.

Echoing a half century’s history of bringing together the voices of patients, researchers and regulators in a neutral forum for meaningful collaboration, DIA 2019 will catalyze conversations among a global community of life sciences professionals at all levels and across all disciplines, with a common goal of fostering innovation that will lead to the development of safe and effective medical products and therapies for patients. With more than 275 sessions and poster presentations planned across 13 core interest areas, attendees will debate, collaborate, and share – with no barriers – ideas about wide-ranging topics that include the evolution of novel therapies, the pharmaceutical research and development (R&D) landscape, and regulatory challenges to action throughout the product development lifecycle.

“With regulatory changes, geo-political shifts, economic uncertainties – and notably - the welcome and continued rise of patient-centered involvement, the life sciences industry is tasked with ever-increasing pressure to develop high-quality, innovative products,” said Barbara Lopez Kunz, Global Chief Executive, DIA. “Providing a neutral, multidisciplinary, cross-functional forum for learning and open discussion, like DIA 2019, is essential for silo-busting and for moving our field forward. That innovative drive aims to result in safe, effective, quick – and, most importantly, accessible - healthcare for patients.”

Combining traditional face-to-face educational sessions with eLearning and other interactive experiences, DIA 2019 features themed tracks with real-time scientific sessions focused on today’s trending topics, including big data, medical affairs, regulatory policy and product quality, clinical operations, patient engagement, and value and access.

The five-day conference will also feature a three-day expo with more than 450 exhibiting companies from across the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, data science, and medical device communities; DIAmond Sessions, which feature in-depth conversations with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), European Medicines Agency (EMA), and other health authorities; and career development forums for students and emerging professionals.

In addition to senior leaders from the biopharma industry, the FDA and EMA, key representatives from many other global regulatory bodies and research agencies will serve as session chairs and speakers, pressing the group’s collective knowledge forward.

To learn more and register for DIA 2019, visit www.DIAglobal.org/DIA2019. For live updates, follow and join the conversation on Twitter - @DrugInfoAssn – using the hashtag #DIA2019.