Conference summary

The second edition of the international scientific conference, “Interdisciplinary Conference on Drug Sciences ACCORD 2024”, was held from May 23 to May 25, 2024, at the Airport Hotel Okęcie in Warsaw, Poland. Organized by the Scientific and Organizing Committee of the Faculty of Pharmacy at the Medical University of Warsaw (MUW), the event brought together a global community of leading scientists, researchers, and industry professionals.

Held under the patronage of His Magnificence the Rector of MUW and the Honorary Patronage of the Marshal of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship and the Governor of the Mazovia Province, the conference also received support from prestigious organizations including the Polish Pharmaceutical Society, the Polish Chemical Society, the National Medicines Institute, the Polish Society of Medicinal Chemistry, the Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices and Biocidal Products, the Medical Research Agency, the National Centre for Research and Development, the Committee of Therapeutics and Drug Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences, the Polish Association of Self-Medication Industry, the Polish Society of Mass Spectrometry, the “Pro Pharmacia Futura” Foundation, the Polish Pharmaceutical Chamber, and the Polish Union of Innovative Medical Biotechnology Companies BioInMed.

The motto of the conference “Pharmaceutical innovations across the borders”, highlighted the diverse and interdisciplinary nature of the drug research topics discussed. These ranged from the design and molecular modeling of new structures to the synthesis and development of drug forms, as well as biological, preclinical, and clinical studies.

Renowned scientists from Europe, the United States, and Africa delivered inspiring lectures. These included experts from Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, the USA, and South Africa. Sponsored lectures by scientists collaborating with sponsoring companies added practical insights to the program. In addition, Conference participants, selected by the Scientific Committee, presented their research in the form of oral presentations and short poster presentations. All posters were also displayed in printed form. The Conference was attended by more than 180 participants from academic centers, and pharmaceutical and chemical companies from Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, the United Kingdom, and the USA.

The Conference featured 14 invited lectures, 2 sponsored lectures, and 7 short presentations, including the Stanislaw Biniecki Award winner. A total of 112 posters were presented, with 29 of them given as short spotlight presentations. Scientific sessions were conducted by members of the Scientific Committee and Organizing Committee.

A highly engaging panel discussion featured five international experts: Professors Dario Braga, Krzysztof Jóźwiak, and Ewa Szczurek representing the scientific community, Dr. Susan Reutzel-Edens, President of SuRE Pharma Consulting, and Dr. Anna Krause representing the pharmaceutical company Pikralida. The discussion focused on the current conditions and prospects of drug development research, highlighting major successes and failures, future directions, and ways to bridge the gap between basic research and its practical applications.

The conference was certified by INFARMA, confirming that it met the ethical standards of the Code of Transparency and the Code of Good Practice of the Pharmaceutical Industry. The event was sponsored by pharmaceutical and chemical companies and included an exhibition by sponsors and exhibitors. The Platinum Sponsors of the Conference were Shim-pol and Adamed Pharma, Gold Sponsors were Pikralida, Mettler Toledo, and Thea, and Silver Sponsors included LABCENTER Polska, Technobis, Biofarm, and Phenomenex.

Numerous scientific awards were presented during the Conference. The Professor Stanisław Biniecki Scientific Award for outstanding achievements in drug research was given to Dr. Vittorio Canale. The Polish Society of Medicinal Chemistry Award for the Best Poster in medicinal chemistry went to Nadiia Diyuk for “Sonidegib bioisosteres: activity and ADME properties”, while Distinguished Poster awards were given to Marta Splandesci for “Exploring new classes of sulfoximine derivatives of potential biological activity” and Oleg Demchuk for “Development of a novel family of antifungal agents based on a quinone methide oxime framework”.

Young scientist awards for the best posters at the ACCORD 2024 Conference were awarded to:

• Alina Cherniienko for “Optimisation of Quinoxaline Derivatives Synthesis Using Novel Green Analytical Technique of In situ FTIR/Microwave Irradiation Coupled System”
• Katarzyna Strzelecka for “Preparation and characterization of poly(amidoamine) dendrimer/camptothecin complex loaded biodegradable nanosystems for potential application in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer”
• Sandra Gajewska for “Development of efficient system for human adenylate kinase 4 (AK4) production and evaluation of the inhibitory potency of suramin and its derivatives against AK4”
• Aldona Minecka for “Mesoporous Matrices as a Promising New Generation of Carriers for Multipolymorphic Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Aripiprazole”,
• Aleksandra Rzewińska for “Influence of lactose particle size distribution on the performance of inhaled drug product”
• Ewelina Juszczyk for “Formulation development strategy of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) for intravenous administration of mRNA”

The conference successfully fostered networking and the exchange of ideas among participants. We look forward to welcoming you to the next edition, ACCORD 2026 under the motto “Sky is the Limit”.