Thomson Reuters sponsoring Inspiration category

The Organisation for Professionals in Regulatory affairs (TOPRA) has secured a new Inspiration category sponsor for the Regulatory Affairs Awards 2011 from IDRAC® from Thomson Reuters.

Further to current sponsors Ash Communications, NDA and Samarind RMS, the addition of this high profile sponsor highlights the importance of the Inspiration category to the awards. This Award is aimed at a special individual who has made exceptional contributions to inspire fellow regulatory professionals during the development of their career, perhaps as a mentor or manager.

Lynda Wight, Executive Director of TOPRA, comments: “TOPRA is particularly keen to see recognition for senior individuals within the profession who influence and nurture less experienced professionals entering and progressing through their careers. A commitment to promoting excellent practice by the profession’s leaders is vital to both to public health in general and Regulatory Affairs in particular.”

IDRAC® from Thomson Reuters is a Regulatory Intelligence Solution which provides professionals involved in the development, launch, and post-marketing surveillance of drugs with reliable and accurate global regulatory information to gain competitive advantages and minimise regulatory risks.

Claude Basset, Vice President Content Strategy at Thomson Reuters, adds: “Thomson Reuters has worked with TOPRA for a number of years, by providing students on the TOPRA MSc in Regulatory Affairs course free access to IDRAC. We are very proud to be involved in this year’s Regulatory Affairs Awards celebration by sponsoring the Inspiration category, an award that recognises an individual that has motivated fellow regulatory professionals to produce outstanding performances in a rapidly changing pharmaceutical environment.”

As well as the Inspiration category, the awards also include Achievement, Horizon, Innovation, Support, Communication and Education. The winners will be chosen by a well-respected panel of judges and will be announced at a gala on Thursday 24 November at The Four Seasons Hotel in Canary Wharf.

-ENDS-

Notes to editor

The Organisation for Professionals in Regulator Affairs (TOPRA) is the global organisation for Regulatory Affairs professionals and for those who have an interest in Regulatory Affairs in the healthcare sector. Current membership is drawn from over 40 countries and members worldwide are actively involved in delivering the services needed by busy regulatory specialists. Members are drawn from industry, the regulatory agencies and the consultancy community and work in all sectors including medical technologies, biotech, borderline products and pharmaceuticals.

Awards Categories

ACHIEVEMENT
The judges will look for an individual who, throughout their career, has gone that extra mile and demonstrated a significant and lasting contribution to their work and/or the development of regulatory affairs as a profession. The nominee for the Achievement Award can be retired or semi-retired yet still active in a regulatory capacity.

COMMUNICATION
This Award recognises Regulatory professionals who have worked (perhaps together with other organisations) to ensure the delivery of safe and effective human or veterinary medicines or devices to market, through the exchange of ideas, or interaction using innovative communication solutions. The category also includes examples of good public health communication by Regulatory professionals relating to human or veterinary medicines or devices, or dissemination of information (such as a journal publication or a web-based article) on a technical Regulatory topic.

EDUCATION
This Award recognises an individual who has made a significant contribution to the world of regulatory education and training perhaps through the development of a formal educational qualification, the consistent delivery of a training product or perhaps the production of an innovative in-house training programme.  The category also includes companies or organisations that have demonstrated support for the professional development of RA professionals through, for example, tailored training programmes, or encouraging staff to undertake professional qualifications, such as an MSc, etc.

HORIZON
Open to individuals with less than three years’ experience in the regulatory profession, this award recognises an outstanding ability in an individual. The winner will have set themselves apart from their colleagues with their accomplishments, leadership skills, motivation and commitment to regulatory affairs. Nominations are accepted from employers or managers, who should include details of the nominee’s abilities and potential.

INNOVATION
Every day in regulatory affairs innovation is taking place – new ideas for efficiency, new methods for productivity and new processes. The Innovation Award recognises that innovation is a key differentiator; it is a measure of the regulatory profession’s ability to adjust to the healthcare market and patient needs. Open to individuals, teams and organisations.

INSPIRATION
Aimed at a person who inspires the intellect or prompts action or invention, this award recognises exceptional contributions by an individual in inspiring fellow regulatory professionals in the development of their regulatory career, or as an inspirational team leader. The nomination should be submitted by an individual or team with personal experience of the professional inspirational accomplishments of the nominee.

SUPPORT
This award is in recognition of the critical role that supporting organisations play in the drug development process and the full life cycle of a medicinal product or device. Nominees might include database suppliers, training organisations, translation agencies, courier companies, agency project managers or regulatory consultancies of any size. The nomination should be submitted by an individual or a team with personal experience of the services provided in the past 18 months.