Pharmaceutical Process Development: Current Chemical and Engineering Challenges

Michael T Williams, formerly at Pfizer, now carries out independent consulting work and is an Associate Consultant with Scientific Update, in addition to his work in editing and scientific writing. After completing a BSc Sp Hons in Chemistry at King's College, London, he won a Science and Industry Award giving him a year of industrial experience as a medicinal chemist at ICI Pharmaceuticals, and an earmarked SRC grant. Following his PhD with Prof. Charles Rees at the University of Liverpool, he joined the Chemical Research and Development department of Pfizer. His mid-career responsibilities at Pfizer included the Medicinal Chemistry/Development interface, outsourcing initiatives and technology adoption. In addition to his experience with about 50 early drug candidates, he played a significant role in the late development, filing and commercialization of many agents including ZoloftTM, ViagraTM and RelpaxTM. He rose to become Executive Director and Departmental Head of UK Chemical Research and Development in 2003 and he also spent a 10 month secondment leading 75 formulators, and helping to build a 40 strong Material Sciences group. John Blacker holds the Chair of Process Chemistry and is Director of the Institute of Process Research and Development, positions held jointly between the School of Chemistry and School of Process Environmental and Materials Engineering at the University of Leeds. Until recently he worked as Research and Development Technical Director at Piramal Healthcare and has been in the fine chemicals industry for over 17 years with predecessor companies Avecia, Zeneca and ICI. Prior to this, he was a post-doctoral fellow with Prof. Sir Alan Fersht at the University of Cambridge; did a PhD and DEA in Chimie Organiques with Prof. Jean-Marie Lehn at the University Louis Pasteur Strasbourg, and a BSc Sp.Hons in Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Sheffield. As an industrial chemist, he has made contributions to asymmetric catalysis, pharmaceutical process research and development, with over 80 original research articles, patents and many presentations at international conferences, and was awarded the RSC Process Technology Award in 2006. He is also involved in establishing an Institute of Process Research and Development aimed at bridging the innovation gap and supplying the chemical industry with valuable and competitive new technology.