The first Indo-Japanese international conference on 'Advances in pharmaceutical research and technology: drug discovery, development and delivery' started in Mumbai on November 25, 2005.

The conference is jointly organised by BV Patel Education Trust and PERD Centre, SciTech Centre, The Nagai Foundation, Japan and the Academy of Pharmaceutical Research and Technology of Japan, and co-sponsored by IDMA and Pharmexcil.

The conference was inaugurated by the chief guest, Yasukuni Enoki, ambassador of Japan. The keynote address on 'Drug Discovery and Delivery System' was delivered by Prof Govardhan Mehta, the ex-director of Indian Institute of Science, followed by the main speakers Prof Nagai and Prof Triggle from State University of New York, Buffalo who spoke on novel drug delivery systems and drug discovery respectively.

According to a press release, the conference is aimed at bridging the distance between R&D activities and pharmaceutical market and was attended by distinguished scientists, academicians, industry experts and technocrats.