ISPE, a global not-for-profit association of 24,000 technical professionals working in the manufacturing and drug development sectors of the pharmaceutical industry, announced its 2009 award winners and recognized their contributions to the pharmaceutical industry and the society. Robert P Best, ISPE’s president and CEO, presented the honours at the Society’s 2009 Annual Meeting held from November 7 to 11 in San Diego, California, USA.

“ISPE is fortunate to have such dedicated Members who aspire to bring out the best in themselves, their colleagues, and the industry they serve,” said ISPE president and CEO Robert P Best. “We are grateful for the many roles our active Members serve and their contributions to the Society.”

Jason Tang won the Max Seales Yonker member of the Year, which honours the ISPE Member who made the most significant contribution to the Society during the past year.

Gordon Farquharson received the Richard B Purdy Distinguished Achievement Award. This award honours an ISPE Member who made significant, long-term contributions to the Society. Named after one of the Society’s founders and most accomplished Presidents, recipients are considered to be Members of ISPE’s 'Hall of Fame'.

Nuala F Calnan, Alice Redmond and Stan O’Neill won the Roger F Sherwood Article of the Year Award for their article titled, 'The FDA’s Draft Process Validation Guidance – A Perspective from Industry', published in the May/June 2009 issue of Pharmaceutical Engineering magazine.

The Poland Affiliate is ISPE’s Affiliate of the Year, recognized for outstanding work as reflected by membership development and services, management, industry and Society support, and innovation.

Commissioning Agents, Inc was named company of the year and recognized for outstanding support provided by a company as reflected by significant active participation in the Society’s committees, councils, task teams, communities of practices, programmes, and activities.

Istanbul University Faculty of Pharmacy is the 2009 Student Chapter of the Year Award Winner. They are sponsored by the ISPE Turkey Affiliate.

The Pharmaceutical Engineering Committee was named the Committee of the Year to honour them for their many successful publishing accomplishments during the 2009 production year of Pharmaceutical Engineering magazine.

The International Student Poster Competition Award in the Graduate Category went to Matthew J Metzger of Rutgers University, New Jersey Chapter, and the winner in the Undergraduate Category was Aaron D Rella of Stevens Institute of Technology, also of the New Jersey Chapter.

North American/South American Affiliate Council Awards were also presented on the occasion.