International Conference on Pharmacology Concludes at Panjab University

Chandigarh, November 22, 2025: The 55th Annual Conference of the Indian Pharmacological Society (IPC–IPSCON 2025) concluded today at Panjab University with a strong call to strengthen discovery-to-clinic pathways, expand translational research and empower young pharmacologists for a safer healthcare ecosystem.

Delivering the keynote address, Emeritus Professor at State Medical Sciences University, Maharashtra, Dr Nilima Kshirsagar stressed the need to prioritise public health by ensuring safe and affordable medicines. She said medicines should not be taken without medical supervision. Citing clinical cases, she warned against misleading labelling and herb–drug interactions including one instance of an engineering student who developed recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding after taking an Ayurvedic pain reliever later found to contain 500 mg of Acetylsalicylic Acid. Another case involved an epileptic student who lost seizure control due to an interaction between a memory-enhancing Ayurvedic product and Phenytoin, underscoring the importance of careful patient history and clinician vigilance.

Reflecting on five decades in the field, Dr Kshirsagar called upon young researchers to learn from mentors, develop strong teams and collaborate with basic scientists, clinicians, pharmacists and public health experts. She encouraged collective action, skill development and seizing opportunities to improve patient outcomes.

Dr Jyoti Yadav, Chief Scientist, CSIR Recruitment and Assessment Board, emphasised skill development and collective learning. Research awards were presented by chief guest Dr P. L. Sharma, Professor Emeritus and former Dean, PGIMER, to encourage young investigators. He also enlightened the students that good science does not always require good equipment.

Two major scientific orations also marked the day. The CDRI Oration on Synergising Modern Medicine with Traditional Wisdom in New Drug Discovery and the Dr S. C. Lahiri Oration on Targeted Therapy in Parkinson’s Disease set the tone for advancing therapeutic innovation. Dr Shiv Prakash Rantham, former President of the Indian Pharmacological Society and Founder of Synchron Research Pvt. Ltd, explored the future role of innovation-driven startups and cited Apiqule, an AI–ML drug discovery platform, as an example of scalable research models.

A symposium on Alternatives to Animal Testing Methods drew attention to zebrafish as an ethical 21st-century biomedical research model. Dr Beegum noted that translational pharmacology is the critical bridge linking laboratory findings to practical therapies.

A key attraction was the IPSCON-2025 Quiz on Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, awarding cash prizes of ₹12,000, ₹9,000 and ₹6,000.

Sunil Verma, Director, HAROM India Pvt. Ltd. spoke on Pharmacovigilance as a Catalyst for Healthcare Transformation, while Dr Bikash Medhi led discussions under IPC-Vigilance of Medicinal Products. International insights came from Dr Buddhadeb Dawn from Las Vegas on Advancing Cell Therapy to Clinic: Where Are We in 2025?

Sessions included the Dr S. B. Pandey Oration by Dr Anuradha Majumdar on The Semaglutide Saga and the Dr Lalitha Kameshwaran Oration by Dr Mohd Ishaq Geer on Pharmacology 4.0 for Viksit Bharat @2047, outlining a modernisation roadmap for India’s pharmaceutical sector.

Students engaged actively in the symposium on API and KSM Self-Reliance: Time to End China Dependency for Atmanirbhar Bharat, delivered by Dr Anamika Gulati. Prof Bhupinder Singh Bhoop chaired the session on Advancing Healthcare through Nanotechnology and Integrative Medicine, which drew leading researchers.

The conference concluded with remarks from Prof Anil Kumar, Chairperson, UIPS, who thanked speakers, delegates and sponsors, noting that their collective commitment made IPC-IPSCON 2025 a resounding success.