The pharmaceutical sciences in 2020--report of a conference organized by the Board of Pharmaceutical Sciences of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP).

In accordance with its missions, the Board of Pharmaceutical Sciences (BPS) of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) has developed a view on the future of pharmaceutical sciences in 2020. This followed an international conference with invited participants from various fields (scientists, academicians, regulators, industrialists, venture capitalists...) who shared their views on the forces that might determine how the pharmaceutical sciences will look in 2020. The participants of the conference identified major research activities which will drive drug discovery and development, the enabling technologies, as well as likely paradigm shifts in drug discovery, development, regulation and usage. In addition, they discussed the translation of these changes into the education of pharmaceutical scientists and the potential role of FIP. The outcome of this exercise could serve as a starting point for a scenario analysis of the future of pharmaceutical sciences and the challenges that await the pharmaceutical scientist.