Grégoire joined F.Hoffmann-La Roche (Basel, Switzerland) beginning of 2015 in Pharmaceutical Technical Development Biologics Europe. In his new role as Head of Drug Delivery, Grégoire is responsible for the implementation of advanced drug delivery products in Roche’s development portfolio. He works with sterile products and his current focus areas are within sustained release products for ophthalmology and parenterals, as well as within nanotechnologies for targeted drug delivery. Before joining Roche, Grégoire worked in several positions in Pharmaceutical Drug Development at Ferring Pharmaceuticals A/S (Copenhagen, Denmark). In his last position, he established and led a successful early stage development group, having CMC responsibility over a diversified portfolio of peptide and biological drugs, and he led also the company’s drug delivery innovation in the areas of sustained parenteral delivery, enhanced (non-parenteral) peptide delivery and long acting formulations of proteins. Grégoire is educated in Chemical Engineering from the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA) in Rouen, France. He specialized in polymers for therapeutic applications with a doctorate at the University of Montpellier under the supervision of Prof. Michel Vert. After a few years as Head of Polymer Development with Phusis Matériaux Biorésorbables, he moved on to the University of Geneva in Switzerland, working on sustained release formulations of a proprietary peptide drug for prostate cancer, in the group of Prof. Robert Gurny. During his career, Grégoire co-supervised several PhDs and Master students, participated to two EU-funded consortium projects (Brite Euram and FP7), and is the author or co-author of ca. 20 scientific publications and 6 patent families.
ABSTRACT:
The presentation is illustrating some of the challenges with the pharmaceutical development of products based on advanced drug delivery principles. The first example is taken from the field of injectables, show casing the switch from intravenous infusion to subcutaneous injection of biologics that was successfully applied to several Roche products. This switch required the development of a high concentration formulation combined with a co-formulation development together with a novel excipient enabling subcutaneous injection of large volumes. The second example is dealing with one route of localized drug delivery, namely the ocular route, and more specifically current approaches for long acting ocular delivery of biologic drugs. Here again, innovative technologies are facing the reality check of pharmaceutical development, but are nevertheless progressing in the clinics, showing big promise of patient treatment improvement.
A short interview with you
- Tell us a little-known fact about yourself! I am originating from a wine maker family in Alsace, Ribeauvillé
- What do you foresee as being the biggest game changers in your industry over the next 5-10 years? Advanced Drug delivery systems to enable more efficient and safer treatment for patients
- What advice would you give a younger you? Medical research needs talented young people able to flexibly adapt to an incredibly fast changing environment
- What are your three biggest challenges on a day-to-day basis? To catch up with knowledge available in open world. To accelerate development timelines. To anticipate the future.
- What has been the proudest moment of your career to date?Being part of the core team obtaining global approval in US and EU of Firmagon a self-depoting peptidic GnRH antagonist against prostate cancer