Date: Wednesday, 18 October 2023
Time: 12pm - 1pm
Duration: 1 hour
Contact: Marcus O'Mahony - marcus.omhaony@ul.ie
Location: Limerick
Presentation By

Dr Luke Rogers
On Demand Pharmaceuticals

Presentation Title

From Happy Meals to Happy Patients: Supersizing Pharma the Fast-Food Way!

 

Venue MSG-024/025, Bernal Institute.


ABSTRACT


In an age where swift delivery and real-time tracking have become standard for even our takeout meals, pharmaceutical supply chains remain inefficient and vulnerable to disruptions. This talk will discuss the need and potential strategies to reinvent the pharmaceutical supply chain, making it more agile, transparent, and resilient. Drawing inspiration from industries outside the realm of pharmaceuticals, Dr Rogers will explore innovative approaches to sourcing raw materials, optimizing manufacturing processes, and ensuring the rapid, yet safe, delivery of vital medicines to end-users. Topics will include the utilisation of AI & graphical databases for real-time supply chain visibility, novel reactor designs to reduce waste and increase speed, and strategies to enhance collaboration among stakeholders. The talk will provide a fresh perspective on potential transformations for the pharmaceutical supply chain, bridging the gap between the current state and the dynamic, efficient future we envision for the industry. Join us in charting the course for a supply chain that not only meets the demands of today but is also poised to tackle the challenges of tomorrow.


ABOUT THE PRESENTER


Dr Rogers leads a multi-disciplinary team of researchers at On Demand Pharmaceuticals (ODP), working at the forefront of automated drug manufacturing. He has helped grow the company from one to 90 people over the last three years and has led the commercialisation effort of their first product to market, the Shortage Response Pharmacy on Demand (SR-POD). This mobile clean room is on-site in Tupelo Mississippi undergoing commissioning activities in preparation for first commercial release in mid-December. Dr Rogers and his team have contributed to the design of the trailer, the processes, equipment, and automation required to enable the generation of ready to administer medicines at the point of care. Previously, Dr Rogers worked within Merck’s Manufacturing Division as a process development chemist working on the successful commercialisation of a large-scale cGMP flow chemistry process step. From there he transitioned to a leadership position at Massachusetts Institute of Technology to work on the Pharmacy on Demand (PoD) initiative under Professor Klavs Jensen. This work involved the development, optimisation, and integration of miniaturized continuous manufacturing processes to produce active pharmaceutical ingredients. Dr Rogers received his degree in Medicinal Chemistry from Trinity College Dublin. He completed his PhD research in Trinity College on the synthesis and biomedical applications of Tetrapyrroles.
Tea/Coffee will be available at 13h00 following the seminar. All are welcome to attend.