Managing Creativity and Discovery in Pharma and University, with an Example from Motor Neuron Disease

Michael Spedding has worked at all levels within the pharmaceutical industry while maintaining a strong academic output (h-index 81). He has built two research centres and taken 12 drugs into clinical trials across multiple indications. His company now has a drug in Phase II for motor neuron disease, using a highly original approach and operating with no debt. This webinar will explore how this has been achieved while maintaining a balanced life, highlighting distinct philosophies, management and creativity styles, evolving scientific approaches, and offering potential hope for diseases often considered ‘impossible’.

Tuesday 31^st March
11:00 – 11:15	Welcome and Introduction (Chair: TBC)
11:15 – 12:00	Michael Spedding, Spedding Research Solutions	Talk title: TBC
12:00 – 12:20	Live Audience Q&A
12:20 – 12:30	Closing Remarks

Michael Spedding

Spedding Research Solutions

Michael SPEDDING, PhD, HonFBPhS. Michael is outgoing Secretary General, International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology and President of Spedding Research Solutions SAS (Paris), working on ‘impossible’ diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and long COVID, developing a generic drug for these diseases (ambroxol is in phase IIB for ALS). He was chair of NC-IUPHAR from 1990-2015, growing this to 90 subcommittees of 860 expert scientists contributing to the IUPHAR/BPS guidetopharmacology.org, a freely available knowledgebase on all drug targets. Twelve compounds into clinical trials, two to market; 3 ‘assists’ of marketed drugs. Michael obtained his BSc, PhD and lectured at Sunderland, then 8 years at Merrell Dow research in Strasbourg (calcium channels), then Director at Syntex, Edinburgh, then set up Servier’s CNS research centre (Paris, and later a Budapest research centre for medchem). For the last decade he has led a consortium of researchers looking for new ways forward in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), 250 publications, >20 patents, Clarivate highly-cited scientist (all disciplines, 2013-present), h-index: 75. Michael has been a competitive athlete for 55 years (126,000 kms run) and also works with INSEP the French sports science centre, hence this unique view on ALS. In this webinar we will showcase 50 years of discovery science, and how to create value, manage life, and (perhaps) avoid catastrophes.

Contact : michael@speddingresearchsolutions.fr