IFAPP Academy is a nonprofit organization incorporated in the USA as the educational arm of IFAPP, with the mission of proving, communicating, and achieving recognition of the contributions of Medical Affairs functions to leverage health care as well to establish  Medicines Development as a distinct biomedical profession through the related certification achieved through our education and training programs.

IFAPP Academy fosters the necessary collaborations and partnerships among stakeholders to ensure competent professionals are responsible for bringing the right medicines to the right patients.

Despite the tragic circumstances related to the pandemic, 2020 has been a year of consolidation of the IFAPP Academy with impressive outcomes in term of academic achievements, strategic alliances, and new educational programs, which can be summarized as follows:

  • Continuing interannual growth in the core IFAPP Academy-King’s College London program: The 2020 cohort includes around 130 students from 54 countries who completed the 6 modules and are expected to get the formal certification by year-end. Almost 400 certified alumni from 4 annual cohorts represent the output of our academic operations.
  • Successful launch of the Course on Leadership in Medical Affairs, developed in collaboration with Tufts University Center for Studies in Drug Development, including 63 students. Like the Core Program above, this fully online program’s feedback has been particularly outstanding in terms of satisfaction and observed behavioral changes.
  • Successful launch of the Introductory Course on Medical Affairs in Medicines Development developed in collaboration with MAPS (Medical Affairs Professional Society). This was a novel approach for synergies among professional organizations. Again, metrics for knowledge gain and student satisfaction are impressive.
  • Launching of the Global Fellows in Medicines Development Award: developed in collaboration with IFAPP and the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine. This is a new approach for Certification for biomedical professionals to acknowledge the contributions to Pharmaceutical Medicine as a discipline and profession in several domains (academic, science, innovations, external recognition, etc.). The first cohort included 117 distinguished pharmaceutical physicians and investigators from 24 countries who are charged with the five C’s as follows:
    • Champion: Foster Pharmaceutical Medicine as an established profession.
    • Communicate: Create awareness of this award’s intrinsic value.
    • Connect:  Help identify and recruit the next cohort of Global Fellows.
    • Cultivate: Join an IFAPP member association (or IFAPP directly) and support its activities.
    • Collaborate: contribute to or participate in the Value-Added Programs.
  • Launching of the IFAPP Academy Value Added Program: To serve our growing community and the IFAPP membership with CPD activities (newsletter, webinars, interviews, etc.) on hot topics related to medicines development. The “Conversations with the Academia” webinar program has elicited considerable attention and positive feedback since its inception.
  • Launching of the IFAPP Academy Values, guiding our business and academic operations which can be summarized as follows:
    • Integrity: Honesty is the only way we know
    • Productive creativity: We find new and better ways to get things done
    • Professionalism: We know what we do well, with a zero-defect approach
    • Partnership: We know going together, the horizon looks closer.
    • Global inclusiveness: We value all voices, backgrounds, and opinions

      IFAPP Academy Team in celebration
      IFAPP Academy team celebration

The perspectives for 2021 are also highly encouraging. A set of new programs and plans for a career path in Medicines Development are under preparation and will be shared early next year.

These extraordinary achievements can only be explained by the commitment, teamwork, and proven competence of our IFAPP Academy Board of Directors, the IFAPP Academy Operations Team, and the Advisory Council with our sponsors’ continuous support. We are indebted and thankful for their efforts and ceaseless dedication to achieve our mission.