The winners of the Regional BioCamp 2015

Patients are at the heart of the modern pharmaceutical industry, a principle which also served as a guide for the selection of this year’s theme. At this year’s Regional BioCamp, leading experts from Sandoz, Novartis and the Slovenian academic sphere discussed new strategies for the treatment of autoimmune disease, with a focus on rheumatoid arthritis, the most common autoimmune disease.

»Rheumatoid arthritis used to be a disease with severe consequences and had a major impact on patients’ lives which is also evidenced by many shocking photographs of patients with severely deformed joints. In recent years, we have adopted a different approach to treatment. The key is a combination of early diagnosis, fast introduction of immunomodulation therapy, regular monitoring of disease activity and tracking treatment progress towards the goal – remission or low disease activity. Therefore, the disease is now generally very manageable and no longer constitutes a major obstacle in patients’ lives. This approach brings good results also in Slovenia. Therefore I am convinced that in 20 to 30 years’ time we will no longer see photographs with such severely deformed joints in patients with rheumatoid arthritis,« said prof. dr. Matija Tomšič, Head of Clinical Department of Rheumatology at the University Medical Center Ljubljana.

A patient’s view on rheumatoid arthritis treatment options was presented by Aladar Belec, who developed rheumatoid arthritis at the age of two-and-a half years. »I have been living with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) that significantly marked my life, since very early childhood. Throughout the years it occurred unexpectedly and after the joint effort of doctors, physiotherapists, the family and I, the disease subsided more or less to the extent where it was possible to live a more or less normal life. After many hospitalisations throughout these years, after surgeries, replacement of both hips and various therapies, after weeks and months when I could not move and lived in pain, when no essential therapy worked any more, the doctors finally found a therapy with a biological medicine that suits me and almost completely subdues the disease and therefore helps me to live my life to the full now. I am grateful for every morning when I can get up without help and have only minimal pain and I am glad that I can contribute more to my family life, at work and in the Rheumatic Association of Slovenia.«

The case study stirred innovation of the participants

»The Regional BioCamp once again brought together young talents and top experts and offered them an insight into the pharmaceutical industry and related entrepreneurship. They were impressed by the work in our development units and we were impressed as well when observing them during preparation and presentation of a case study where they demonstrated a truly exceptional degree of innovation,« said Dr. Darja Ferčej Temeljotov, Head of continuous improvements at Sandoz Development Center Slovenia and the president of the organising committee of the Regional BioCamp 2015.

The participants of the Regional BioCamp 2015 had the opportunity to actively participate and challenge themselves through teamwork in the preparation of the case study as well as transferring the acquired knowledge in their practical work. The selection of the best two individuals and the best team was based on the participant’s collaboration in a team task involving elaboration and presentation of a case study on the topic of rheumatoid arthritis.

The winners are to participate in the global BioCamp in Basel

According to the panel’s opinion, when designing the case study, the winners of the Regional BioCamp 2015, Žiga Perko and Julian Kellner, proved themselves to be the best among all participants when combining a scientific and business way of thinking which are both of the utmost importance in order to succeed in pharmacy.

Žiga Perko from Oxford University, United Kingdom, commented on his win: »I did not expect to win the award as I was not quite sure what the panel members were looking for. I think the winning combination was my style of leading which is not aimed at limiting ideas but guiding in the right direction. Working in teams was a great experience because each of us comes from a different background and has different knowledge which additionally contributed to our success. The whole event was very successful, I enjoyed it and I was pleased to get an insight into the operation of a pharmaceutical company. It is difficult to gain such knowledge at the university therefore I appreciate even more that I was selected to be among the participants of this event and even win in the end.«

»I am very pleased that I won. The teamwork was very intense, we worked hard to achieve a good result, as we come from different backgrounds and we had different opinions. However, in the end we succeeded. I believe a good presentation of our business plan contributed to my success, although we did not know exactly what the expectations of the panel were. The whole event was exceptional and very inspiring, but also very strenuous. However, we all enjoyed ourselves and obtained useful knowledge at the same time,« said Julian Kellner from Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Germany on his win.

The Regional BioCamp 2015 hosted university students from 13 countries: Slovenia, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denmark, Croatia, Ireland, Italy, Macedonia, Germany, Poland, Russia, Serbia and Great Britain.