Neuroscience and digital therapeutics – 9th Regional BioCamp takes on the challenges and opportunities in diagnostics and treatment

The Regional BioCamp is a three-day forum that brings together talented undergraduate and post-graduate natural sciences students. This year, also social sciences students are joining for the first time.
The event represents a unique collaboration between academia and business and thereby contributes to the development of young talents and the entire Slovenian economy.
Top Slovenian and foreign speakers will talk about neuroscience and the development of innovative therapies for patients with neurological diseases.

20. 5. 2019

With yesterday’s reception day held in Ljubljana, the ninth Regional BioCamp commenced, where students of natural sciences and for the first time also students of social sciences came together with lecturers and mentors to talk about neuroscience. A series of lectures will address different therapeutic areas in neurology, such as Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis and migraine, as well as the role of digitalization in future treatment and drug development. As part of a rich program, where students will have an opportunity to listen to top scientists and executives, a migraine patient will share his/her experience with this condition.

»This is the ninth consecutive Regional BioCamp in a row that we have organized, and each time we are trying to offer the students something new and exceptional. A special emphasis will be placed on linking academic knowledge and entrepreneurship, as this year for the first time, we are hosting economic science students as well. The second novelty is that the participants when creating a business plan during a group competition, will this year for the first time work on a real case involving digital therapeutics under the auspices of the Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research (NIBR). By doing so, we will offer the students even deeper insight into the real world of pharmacy and our future challenges,« said Darja Ferčej Temeljotov, Head of Strategic Programs at Lek and the Regional BioCamp Chair Organizing Committee.

The participants will tackle the case study by working in teams, testing and developing their business mind-set, innovation and communication skills and the ability to take part in constructive teamwork. At the conclusion of the event, the expert panel will select the winning team with the best case study and three best performing individuals.

35 students from more than 10 countries

In total, 280 young talents have participated in the Regional BioCamp to date. Among more than 150 students from 19 countries who applied this year, the organizers selected 35 most promising future experts coming from more than 10 countries, including Slovenia, Austria, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Italy, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey and the United Kingdom. As part of the central theme, they will learn about different topics related to new developments in the innovative and generic pharmaceutical industry, the global experience in drug development, development of neuroscience within Novartis and beyond, while at the same time they will be challenged with the task of adopting an entrepreneurial mindset, working in teams to develop their own ideas and learn about the opportunities for career development in the pharmaceutical industry.

This three-day forum gives the students a unique opportunity to gain direct insight into the world of research and the international business environment within the pharmaceutical industry, a process that will create a unique opportunity to enrich knowledge and gain new experience and contacts.

The participants of the Regional BioCamp 2019 will be given insight from ten renowned Slovenian and foreign lecturers, including experts and executives from Novartis, Sandoz and Lek, university professors and others:

Subodh Deshmukh, PhD, Global Head Product Development, Sandoz
Uroš Klančar, PhD, Head Digital Transformation at Global Development, Sandoz
Violeta Gabrijelčič, Head Global Technical Development Portfolio Management, Biosimilars, Novartis
Julie Choulet, Technical Project Leader, Novartis
Prof. Zvezdan Pirtošek, MD, PhD, Consultant Neurologist and Chair of Neurology at the Medical Faculty, University in Ljubljana
Marie-Emmanuelle Riviere, PhD, Senior Clinical Development Director, Novartis Pharma
Prof. David Leppert, MD, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Basel
Andrej Fabjan, MD PhD, specialist neurologist, Department of Vascular Neurology, University Medical Center Ljubljana
migraine patient
Boris Brus, PhD, Laboratory Formulation Development Team Leader, Drug Product Development BPD Mengeš, Novartis

* * *

Novartis is the leading provider of medicines in Slovenia, where Lek, Novartis Pharma Services and Sandoz, operate. Together we are building and maintaining the reputation of a dynamic, ethical, and trusted pharmaceutical company. Lek develops, manufactures, and markets effective, safe, and high quality medicines and active pharmaceutical ingredients. With our knowledge, quality, and experience we have gained an important role in Novartis' organizational structure, especially in the Novartis Technical Operations, Global Drug Development, Novartis Business Services, and the generic division Sandoz. We are the leading Sandoz development center, and one of the key development sites for technologically complex projects. We invest a great deal in the development, education, and training of our employees. Novartis invested in Slovenia more than EUR 2 billion since 2003. More than half of this investment has been devoted to development, and the rest to modernize and expand our production capacities.

About Sandoz
Sandoz, a Novartis division, is a global leader in generic pharmaceuticals and biosimilars and a pioneer in the emerging field of prescription digital therapeutics. Our purpose is to pioneer access to healthcare by developing and commercializing novel, affordable approaches that address unmet medical need. Our broad portfolio of high-quality medicines, covering all major therapeutic areas and increasingly focused on value-adding differentiated medicines, accounted for 2018 sales of USD 9.9 billion. Sandoz is headquartered in Holzkirchen, in Germany’s Greater Munich area.

About Novartis
Novartis is reimagining medicine to improve and extend people’s lives. As a leading global medicines company, we use innovative science and digital technologies to create transformative treatments in areas of great medical need. In our quest to find new medicines, we consistently rank among the world’s top companies investing in research and development. Novartis products reach more than 750 million people globally and we are finding innovative ways to expand access to our latest treatments. About 105 thousand people of more than 140 nationalities work at Novartis around the world. Find out more at www.novartis.com.

* * *

This press release contains statements and conclusions based on projections of Lek’s future business operations. These estimates are derived from the best information currently available. In case these forecasts prove unreliable, the actual results could prove different from those projected.

- end -

For additional information contact:
Katarina Klemenc
Corporate Communications
Lek Pharmaceuticals d. d.
Phone: +386 1 580 22 43
Fax: +386 1 580 24 32
katarina.klemenc@sandoz.com