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Hotel AVASA

Feb 03, 2025 8:00 AM - Feb 04, 2025 5:00 PM

HUDA Techno Enclave, HITEC City, Hyderabad 500081, TS, India

DIA-US FDA Biosimilars Workshop “Navigating Biosimilars: FDA Insights On Development And Lifecycle Management Strategies”

Speakers

Dr. Nina  Brahme

Dr. Nina Brahme

Senior Scientific Reviewer, OTBB, CDER, US FDA, United States

Dr. Nina Brahme is a Scientific Reviewer at FDA’s Office of Therapeutic Biologics and Biosimilars (OTBB) since 2019, where she contributes to providing clear scientific advice for biosimilar and interchangeable product development. She previously worked as a product quality reviewer in FDA’s Office of Biotechnology Products (OBP) for two years. Dr. Brahme holds a Bachelor's in Molecular and Cell Biology from UC Berkeley, a PhD in Cell Biology from Yale, and a Masters of Public Health from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. As a National Cancer Institute Postdoctoral Fellow, she also participated in OBP research and review work.

Dr. Christopher  Downey

Dr. Christopher Downey

Division Director, Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Assessment VI, OPMA, CDER, US FDA, United States

Dr. Christopher Downey is the Director of the Division of Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Assessment VI in CDER/OPQ’s Office of Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Assessment (OPMA), a role he has held since May 2022. His division ensures product quality and sterility for CDER-regulated biologics by assessing microbiology controls and manufacturing data in BLAs, and leading pre-license inspections (PLIs) of manufacturing facilities. Previously, Dr. Downey was a Review Chief (2017–2022), Team Lead (2014–2017), and Reviewer (2012–2014) in the Office of Biotechnology Products. He holds a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Colorado at Boulder and was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Colorado and Georgetown University Medical Center.

Ms. Sarah  Ikenberry

Ms. Sarah Ikenberry

Senior Communication Advisor, OTBB, CDER, US FDA, United States

Ms. Sarah Ikenberry is a Senior Communication Advisor at the FDA’s Office of Therapeutic Biologics and Biosimilars (OTBB) in CDER, where she manages education and stakeholder engagement for biosimilars. She provides strategic communication support to senior leaders on biosimilar initiatives and priorities. With over 20 years of experience in public health and regulatory roles, Sarah has expertise in strategic communication planning, stakeholder outreach, campaign management, message development, and content creation for both web and traditional media. She holds a Master of Arts in Communication from Johns Hopkins University.

Dr. Kristen  Nickens

Dr. Kristen Nickens

Product Quality Team Lead, Office of Product Quality Assessment III, OPQ, CDER, US FDA, United States

Dr. Kristen Nickens is a Product Quality Team Lead in the Office of Product Quality Assessment III (OPQAIII) within the Office of Pharmaceutical Quality (OPQ) at CDER, FDA. She leads teams to ensure compliance with regulatory standards for biosimilars and biologics. Dr. Nickens began her regulatory career in 2013 as an NIH-FDA Interagency Oncology Task Force Fellow at CBER, focusing on cell and gene therapies. In 2014, she joined CDER as a Product Quality assessor, specializing in CMC assessment of complex biologics. She has expertise in the regulatory lifecycle of biotech products, from early development to post-licensure. Dr. Nickens holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Medicine, specializing in Oncology, from The George Washington University.

Dr. Stacey  Ricci

Dr. Stacey Ricci

Director, Scientific Review Staff, OTBB, CDER, US FDA, United States

Dr. Stacey Ricci is the Director of the Scientific Review Staff in the Office of Therapeutic Biologics and Biosimilars at CDER. She has contributed to FDA guidance and standards for biotechnology-derived therapeutic proteins, particularly biosimilars. Dr. Ricci leads a multidisciplinary team overseeing the review of biosimilar and interchangeable products, advancing biosimilar policy, scientific research, and stakeholder engagement. Before joining the FDA in 2005, she completed post-doctoral research at the University of Pennsylvania and earned her Doctor of Science from Tulane University, along with a Master of Engineering and Bachelor of Science from Cornell University

Gregory  Smith

Gregory Smith

Deputy Director, FDA India Office, Food and Drug Administration, India

Greg is the new Deputy Director for the India Office. He joined FDA’s India Office in 2022 as an International Relations Specialist focusing on the Drugs portfolio. Previously, Greg directed CDER’s Special Projects Staff - a multi-disciplinary staff working on mission-critical scientific, regulatory, legislative, and operational projects. Greg joined FDA in 2011 as a CVM Project Manager serving as the primary liaison on the drug approval process for sponsors and review teams. Prior to the FDA, Greg managed various aspects of Phase I-IV clinical trials for global CROs.

Mr. Gregory  Smith

Mr. Gregory Smith

Director, India Office, US FDA, India

Mr. Gregory Smith is the Director of the India Office in the FDA’s Office of Global Policy and Strategy (OGPS). With over 12 years at the FDA, he previously led CDER’s Special Projects Staff and worked as a regulatory project manager in CVM’s Office of New Animal Drug Evaluation. He specializes in complex scientific, regulatory, legislative, and operational issues, including user-fee negotiation, supply chain assessment, and portfolio management. Mr. Smith also has experience in clinical trial management, risk evaluation, and post-marketing surveillance. He is a certified project and portfolio management professional and graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Dr. Joel  Welch

Dr. Joel Welch

Deputy Office Director, OPQA III, OPQ, CDER, US FDA, United States

Dr. Joel Welch is the Deputy Office Director for the Office of Product Quality Assessment III in the Office of Pharmaceutical Quality at CDER, FDA. His office assesses product quality for small molecule APIs and biological products (excluding microbiology). He serves as the Rapporteur for the ICH revision to Q5A(R1) and Chair for the Emerging Technology Program. Previously, Dr. Welch was Associate Director for Science & Biosimilar Strategy, focusing on policy and emerging issues in the biosimilar program. He has held roles as Review Chief, Team Leader, Primary Assessor, and Regulatory Project Manager. Prior to FDA, he worked in industry for six years on late-stage analytical development of small molecules

Dr. Constance (Connie)  Richard-Math

Dr. Constance (Connie) Richard-Math

Supervisory Consumer Safety Officer (SCSO), India Office, US FDA, India

Dr. Constance (Connie) Richard-Math is a Supervisory Consumer Safety Officer (SCSO). Connie joined FDA in 1998 and prior to joining the New Delhi office, she worked as a supervisor with multiple FDA offices and as the Director, Investigations Branch in Baltimore, MD. She has experience managing multiple program areas (Drugs, Device, Foods (human and animal), Imports, BIMO and Biologics and has previously worked as a consultant in the Drug and Device areas. Connie is a graduate of Iowa State University with a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science.

Dr. Jacquin (Jackie) L. Jones

Dr. Jacquin (Jackie) L. Jones

International Relations Specialist, India Office, US FDA, India

Dr. Jacquin (Jackie) Jones is an International Relations Specialist with a diverse background in public health, regulatory compliance, policy development, and clinical research. She has held roles as program lead and consumer safety officer in the Office of Compounding Quality and Compliance, policy lead in the Office of Policy for Pharmaceutical Quality, and project manager in CDER for drug applications. Dr. Jones also worked as a nurse at NIH managing research protocols and clinical care. She holds a Doctor of Health Sciences with a Global Health concentration, a Master of Science in Nursing Informatics, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Mr. Dhruv   Shah

Mr. Dhruv Shah

Senior Technical Advisor, India Office, US FDA, India

Mr. Dhruv Shah is a Public Health Specialist working as a Senior Technical Advisor with the FDA India office. Prior to joining FDA, Dhruv worked with major Pharmaceutical R&Ds. He brings around 10 years of experience in formulation development of diverse dosage forms for US, EU, and other regulated markets. His domain expertise includes product development using Quality by Design (QbD) concepts, process development, optimization, scale up, validation and technology transfer. Mr. Shah holds a Master of Pharmacy degree with specialization in Pharmaceutical Technology & Pharmaceutics.

Dr. Phuc (Phillip)   Nguyen

Dr. Phuc (Phillip) Nguyen

International Relations Specialist, India Office, US FDA, India

Dr. Phillip Nguyen is a physician and policy staffer at the US FDA’s India Office, having previously worked on FDA’s biomedical research monitoring program. Before FDA, Dr. Nguyen’s experience spanned working in the nonprofit sector on regulatory systems strengthening, supply chains, and pharmaceutical quality standards with multilateral organizations. A former Assistant Professor of the Georgetown University School of Medicine, Dr. Nguyen holds a medical doctorate from Tufts University, and a bachelor’s in Molecular & Cell Biology, cum laude, from Harvard University.

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