A special message from the AAPS president.
By Joseph W. Polli, Ph.D., FAAPS, President
The AAPS Board of Directors is closely monitoring the global progression and impact of COVID-19. As of March 10, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported 113,702 cases worldwide, with 4,012 deaths. Our thoughts are foremost with the families and communities affected by this disease.
We, as pharmaceutical scientists, understand what it takes to create and test new therapies. Like many of you, I have been following the news about potential drug repurposing and the development of new compounds to treat and prevent this disease. About 300 trials have already been registered, including the first in the U.S., remdesivir. I’m very proud that the medical and scientific communities are coming together to fight COVID-19. Many of AAPS’ members and partners are integral in this process by providing their deep scientific expertise in the pharmaceutical sciences.
The AAPS Board of Directors and staff remain committed to providing our members and the global pharmaceutical science community with the means to share research, collaborate, foster networks, and effectively communicate with one another. We are following the guidelines set by WHO and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve, we may need to move or postpone some of our events.
The AAPS website will be the best way to learn about changes to AAPS events. AAPS’ official COVID-19 statement is
here, and it will be updated as needed. You can also check specific program webpages, like for our
workshops. I will share more updates through this column in
AAPS Newsmagazine as well.
Remember that the 2020 PharmSci 360 is many months away. We are still holding this leading pharmaceutical science event, and any changes to our plan will be announced closer to the conference. I recommend planning to attend with the knowledge that AAPS will reimburse anyone who is not allowed to travel. If you are attending as a partner, we will work with you to reallocate your investment should the event be postponed or canceled. Actually, 2020 PharmSci 360 registration should open in just a couple days, so make sure to register early and save your spot!
In the meantime, AAPS offers many great virtual programs, designed to foster global communication. Interact with your peers through the AAPS Communities; read and submit recent research and reviews in AAPS’ journals; watch live and on-demand webinars on a myriad of topics; and search for new career opportunities in the virtual Career Development Center.
The AAPS Board of Directors will continue to evaluate the COVID-19 situation and make decisions based on the welfare of our members. Let me know if you have any questions about AAPS’ response to this situation, or email the AAPS meetings team at meetings@aaps.org if you have a question about a specific event. And let’s do our part in preventing the spread of this virus by practicing healthy habits!