New Jersey Pharmaceutical Association for Science & Technology Celebrates 60th Anniversary
The New Jersey Pharmaceutical Association for Science and Technology (NJPhAST) will be launching the celebration of its 60th anniversary at its September 17th meeting at the Hanover Marriott in Whippany, NJ. Originally called The New Jersey Pharmaceutical Research Discussion Group, it was started in the mid-1950s by individuals who sought a forum for networking, discussion, education, and exchange of ideas in the area of pharmaceutical science and technology. NJPhAST continues in the same tradition, holding monthly meetings featuring speakers who are experts in their respective fields. Attendees are drawn from a population of over 700 professionals in the greater New Jersey area who represent large and small pharmaceutical companies, academia, and suppliers of chemicals, equipment, and services to the industry.
Much has changed in the past 60 years and much has remained the same. A membership list from 1967 includes representatives from Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Pfizer, and Hoffman La Roche. Other companies represented were Lederle, E.R. Squibb & Sons, Whitehall Labs, Geigy, Walker, and Carter-Wallace, and also the College of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Columbia University. While companies continue to evolve, the need for good scientific information remains constant. One topic that remains constant is dissolution, which was a speaker topic as far back as 1969, and continues today with great interest in Quality-by-Design and In-Vivo/In-Vitro correlations. The abstract for a meeting in September 1974 begins with “The pharmaceutical industry as a whole is experiencing severe pressure under today’s economic and governmental regulatory climate…” – another topic that remains the same. Occasionally, a meeting, especially the December meeting, will have a topic that is less scientific and of more general interest. The guest speaker at the December meeting in 1972 addressed the topic “Women’s Lib: What’s it All About?”
“One of the great things about NJPhAST is that it’s a local meeting for people to interact with others in the industry that they may not have opportunities to meet otherwise,” says David Harris, current Chairman of the NJPhAST board of trustees. “We’ve striven to keep it affordable, especially in today’s economy,” he adds. The meetings include a social hour with open bar, followed by a sit-down meal and speaker for a pre-registration fee of $45, $65 for walk-ins, and special rates for students, retirees, and those between jobs. Corporate sponsorships have helped to offset much of the expenses.
Those who have been involved in NJPhAST over the years are encouraged to come out to the September 17th meeting. Some special remembrances and tokens will be highlights of the meeting. Please follow NJPhAST at our website: www.njphast.org and contact one of our officers with any questions.
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