15 April - 17 April 2026

42nd SCI Process Development Symposium

Organised by:

Churchill College, Cambridge, UK

Prices start from £395.00

Early bird offer ends 26 January 2026

Synopsis

Process Development is the application of chemistry to the scale up of new synthetic processes from the laboratory, through pilot plant to full scale commercial manufacture and into life cycle management. It is an extremely broad discipline, crossing the boundaries between synthetic organic chemistry, process technology and chemical engineering.
The area of Process Development continues to be a challenging and important area for the research into and application of modern synthetic organic chemistry, as well as enabling technologies.

Attendees

The symposium aims to bring together a wide range of speakers from across the Pharmaceutical, Agrochemical and Fine Chemical industries, as well as from an academic background. This meeting brings together experts from across the entire spectrum of the discipline to present state of the art process development.

Sponsorship and Exhibitor information

The exhibition has now sold out. For information on sponsorship, please email conferences@soci.org.

Accommodation

En-suite accommodation can be booked for delegates at the college. Bedrooms will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. The accommodation package is for 2 nights – Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 April and includes full English or Continental breakfast plus an evening meal on Wednesday 15 April. Rooms must be vacated by 10.00am on the day of departure. Luggage storage will be made available on the day of departure.

Please note: Bedrooms at the college will be available from 14:00 on the day of arrival.

Those not wishing to stay in college accommodation can book accommodation directly through www.visitcambridge.org

Programme

Wednesday 15 April

11.00: Registration and refreshments
12.15: Lunch and exhibition

CHAIRPERSON: Dr Dave Lathbury, Astute Chemical Development Ltd, UK

13.25: Opening remarks
13.30: Temperature scanning reaction protocol to streamline process R&D
Dr Donna Blackmond, Scripps Institute, USA
14.10: Case study
Asymchem UK
14.50: Towards sustainable drug development
Ms Miriam Turner, AstraZeneca, UK
15.30: Refreshment break and exhibition

CHAIRPERSON: Dr John Carey, UK

16.10: Biocatalysis
Dr David Entwistle, Codexis, USA
16.50: Smart sustainability: Data-driven Solutions from Input Materials to Waste Management Across the Value Chain
Dr Michael Luescher, Novartis, Switzerland
17.20: Chemical development and scale-up: some lessons learned over the last forty years
Dr Martin Jones, AstraZeneca, UK
18.00: Closing remarks
18.00: Post event wine reception sponsored by Chiral Quest (until 18.45)
19.00: Dinner for residents of the college

Thursday 16 April

CHAIRPERSON: Dr Hilmar Weinman, Johnson & Johnson, Belgium

09.00: The largest small molecule: Manufacturing process for enlicitide
Dr David Thasivongs, Merck, USA
09.40: P2X3 Receptor Antagonist: Addressing Cost and Supply Challenges in the Development of a Multi-Indication Asset
Dr Joerg Gries, Bayer, Germany
10.20: Refreshment break and exhibition

CHAIRPERSON: Dr Harvey Dale, Syngenta, UK

10.50: Electrochemistry in Crop Protection Process Research at Syngenta
Dr Andrei Iosub, Syngenta, Switzerland
11.30: Case study
Lilly, USA
12.10: Lunch and exhibition

CHAIRPERSON: Dr Max Espensen, Pharmaron, UK

13.10: A chemical process development case study from BASF
Dr Ksenia Kutonova, BASF, Germany
13.50: Flow chemistry scale-up from grams to tonnes and kilo-tonnes
Dr Nikolay Cherkasov, Stollichem, UK
14.30: Case study
Pharmaron, UK
15.10: Refreshment break and exhibition

CHAIRPERSON: TBC

15.40: Case study
Johnson & Johnson, Belgium
16.20: Process Chemistry Award winner 2026
17.20: Closing remarks
17.30: Post event wine reception sponsored by High force research (until 18.15)
19.00: Symposium dinner

Friday 17 April

CHAIRPERSON: Dr Matt Burns, AstraZeneca, UK

09.00: Challenges in the development of early clinical phase pharmaceuticals
Dr Ian Hale, BMS, USA
09.40: Process Chemistry Award Winner 2025
Prof Richard Bourne, University of Leeds, UK
10.40: Refreshment break and exhibition

CHAIRPERSON: Dr Richard Horan, GSK, UK

11.10: Case study
GSK UK
11.50: Platinum group metal catalysis - life cycle assessment
Dr Antonio Zanotti-Gerosa, Johnson Matthey, UK
12.30: Close

SCI’s Fine Chemicals Group are committed to promoting diversity and equality in the chemical sciences. We aim to identify high quality speakers for all our conferences with full inclusivity where attendees from all backgrounds are welcome. We are open to offering flexible presentation options.

Accessibility Grants

SCI accessibility grants are available to support SCI members with disabilities, long term health conditions, those who require a carer, and members who are nursing parents to attend SCI events. Download an application form to apply for a grant.

Venue and Contact

Churchill College

Storey's Way
Cambridge
CB3 0DS

Conference Team

Tel: +44 (0)20 7598 1561

Email: conferences@soci.org

Fees

Early bird- ends Monday 26 January 2026
SCI Member no accommodation - £395
Non-member no accommodation - £455
SCI Member with accommodation - £665
Non-member with accommodation - £725

After early bird
SCI Member no accommodation - £520
Non-member no accommodation - £580
SCI Member with accommodation - £790
Non-member with accommodation - £850

All registrations will automatically receive a confirmation within 24 hours of registering for the event. Should you not receive written confirmation of your booking, please email conferences@soci.org.

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Booking Process/Deadlines

Booking terms and conditions

CPD Info

All delegates attending this meeting are able to claim CPD points.

Gold Exhibitor

Silver Exhibitors

Sinocompound Corporation
CatSci
Navin Molecular

Bronze Exhibitors

Bellen Chemistry
Almac
Stoli Catalyst
Johnson Matthey
Lonza
Tecnobis

Organising committee

Dave Lathbury, SCI/Astute Chemical Development Ltd
Harvey Dale, Syngenta
Hilmar Weinman, Johnson & Johnson
John Carey
Matt Burns, AstraZeneca
Max Espensen, SCI/Pharmaron
Richard Horan, SCI/GSK
Robert Walton, SCI/Asymchem