3-Day Comprehensive Freeze Drying Course Announced For Sept 17-19 (Amsterdam)

Our comprehensive three-day courses are designed to provide delegates with up-to-date information about all aspects of the freeze drying process, from technical details of the machinery, operation and maintenance, to formulation development and cycle optimization and the specific issues relating to processing biological material.

Course Content
Our courses are updated continually to maintain currentness. Topics typically include:

• General Introduction to Freeze Drying
• Design of a Freeze Dryer
• Process Analytical Technology (PAT)
• Equipment Maintenance and Qualification
• Formulation Characterization and Product Formulation Design
• Cycle Development and Scale-Up Issues
• Product and Process Monitoring
• Freeze Drying of Proteins and Biologicals

The course also includes two workshops:
• Critical Review of Freeze Dried Materials
• Interdisciplinary Problem-Solving

Who Should Attend
It is suitable for those involved in all stages of freeze drying, from R&D and laboratory work through to industrial production, plant maintenance and quality control. It is especially invaluable for those whose activities include:

• Process Engineering
• Pilot Plant Operation
• Production
• Formulation and Process R&D
• Quality Assurance

Location

These courses are regularly scheduled for the US and Europe. Courses in Florida and California are generally scheduled for February and October of each year, with fixtures in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, for April and September.

Our Lecturers

Tom Peacock- Senior Scientist; Course Leader, UK Courses

Tom has specialised in the field of lyophilization since 2006 and has an MSc in Pharmaceutical Analysis. Tom takes a leading role today in managing BTL’s commercial projects, characterising products suitable for freeze-drying, looking at key factors and designing robust and efficient cycles. He has also travelled widely commissioning freeze-drying microscopes, one of the vital instruments used in current development work.

In addition to R&D Tom is responsible for running “Product and Process” training courses at our site in Winchester.

Richard Wood – Technical Director at BPS; Course Leader, Overseas Courses

Richard is Technical Director at Biopharma Process Systems, the freeze dryer sales and support business within the Biopharma Group. He trained in control system engineering, refrigeration and training as a marine engineer in the UK’s Royal Navy before joining Biopharma in 1990. In his role as Technical Director he is responsible for the installation, qualification, and maintenance of hundreds of freeze dryers across the UK and Ireland. His experience encompasses the range of machines from small laboratory units to full-scale integrated production systems, in a variety of designs and configurations from different manufacturers. Richard remains a practising engineer and also writes documentation concerned with operation, maintenance and qualification of freeze dryers.

Richard is Course Leader for our 3-day Comprehensive courses, scheduled in Europe and the US.

Dr Kevin Ward – Director of R&D

Kevin joined BTL in March 2000, and as the Director of Research and Development, he leads the collaborative research activity and oversees the delivery of client research projects.

He graduated in Applied Chemistry and has been in freeze-drying since 1993 when he undertook a Ph.D. studying the freeze-drying of pharmaceutical formulations and drug/vaccine delivery systems. Kevin then worked at Pfizer Central Research in Sandwich, UK, and as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in vaccine development at Aston University before joining BTL. Since that time, he has had direct involvement in the freeze-drying R&D of a diverse range of over 700 materials, from small molecules to proteins, antibodies, liposomes, particulates, gels, slurries, nanoparticles, bacteria and vaccines. His expertise is greatly valued by BTL’s clients. Since 2007, Kevin has chaired the PHSS Freeze-Drying Special Interest Group, an international working group that produces monographs on practical aspects of freeze-drying technology.

SOURCE: Biopharma Technology Limited