The Drug Delivery to the Lungs (DDL) meeting was due to return to the Edinburgh International Conference Centre December 9-11 this year following the celebration of its 30th anniversary and it’s 15th year bringing hundreds of OINDP experts to Edinburgh, UK in 2019; but due to the COVID-19 epidemic, it will be at least 2021 before the meeting returns to Scotland. A modified version of DDL will take place virtually, however. As of mid-November, more than 450 delegates have already registered with many more expected since the organizers are offering registration free of charge to anyone who wants to attend this year.
Unlike Digital RDD 2020, which took place early in the pandemic and which offered an asynchronous program of pre-recorded talks, the majority of the DDL 2020 program will be live. The program will differ from the meeting’s usual format, however. DDL organizing committee member Michelle Dawson said, “I think with the pandemic drastically curtailing travel, that has forced us to really think differently this year with the conference. . . . We all recognize the challenges of having a true conference online but we wanted to acknowledge the event.”
The committee’s solution to the problem was to offer a series of “Christmas lectures,” similar to those offered by the UK’s Royal Institution. Invited lecturers will present talks live on December 9, 10, and 11, starting at 12 noon UK time. DDL 2020 will also offer flash presentations, on-demand presentations (analagous to posters), a virtual exhibition, and live networking opportunities, with activities running from 10:00 to slightly past 16:00 on each of the three days.
Dawson acknowledges that the live programming may be poorly timed for some delegates, particularly those on the West Coast of the US, but she points out that the talks will be recorded and will be available on-demand for later watching. The committee felt that it was important to have live content, she said, because “it enables us to have that sense of engagement for people who are able to attend live.”
Sustainability remains a significant topic, Dawson notes, along with AI and data science, digital inhalers, and inhaled anti-viral therapies. One session that will not take place this year is the Pat Burnell Young Investigator Award presentations; the competition for that award will resume in 2021. In fact, the only one of the annual DDL prizes that will be awarded this year is the DDL Emerging Scientist Award; the winner of that prize will present the Emerging Scientist Lecture on Wednesday, December 9.
In addition to live Q&A sessions following the lectures, DDL 2020 will offer several interactive features, including a chat room for networking and a daily discussion forum that will allow attendees to communicate with each other via video and text chat. The discussion forums are organized by the DDL New Researcher Network Committee, which was launched at DDL 2019 “to develop a broad community of early career scientists to help facilitate discussion surrounding research ideas/challenges, exchanges, joint projects and personal and professional development.”
Delegates will also have the opportunity to visit a virtual exhibition, with videos, vendor materials, and live staffing at some booths. The exhibition, which includes nearly 50 exhibitors, will open each day of the conference at 10:00 UK time and will remain open throughout the day. There is still time for companies to sign up to sponsor the meeting/have an exhibition stand.
Exhibitors at DDL 2020 include:
Copley Scientific
Capsugel Lonza
Emmace Consulting
GMPharma
H&T Presspart
Iconovo
Intertek
Kindeva
Lonza Pharma & Biotech
Merxin
PARI
Proveris Scientific
Team Consulting
Vectura
