Dear IABS Colleagues, Stakeholders, Supporters, and Collaborators,

Welcome to the new year!

I am pleased to report that the International Alliance for Biological Standardization (IABS) Board of Directors and the General Assembly had very successful meetings in December 2024 in Frankfurt, Germany.  Alliance leaders reported on conference and Journal (Biologicals) activities of this past year and outlined plans for 2025. 

After beginning the year with a sparsity of conferences, the IABS Scientific Committees finished strong by conducted seven workshops/conferences in 2024.  While the overall revenue for 2024 was slim, from a scientific perspective it was an outstanding year for the Alliance.  Several of our conferences built on earlier events (e.g., HPAI, NGS) and congratulations to the organizers of the Statistics meeting for their 10th meeting; a momentous event!

Feedback from conferences continues to highlight IABS’ ability to provide an independent, neutral forum for the discussion of timely regulatory and scientific issues. Our Scientific Committees have been highly successful in reinforcing the value of IABS as a leader and convener of those interested in advancing contemporary biologics issues. Looking ahead, the Alliance is positioned well for a very busy and year in 2025 with nine (9) conferences in the queue. 

The Board of Directors also devoted one full day in Frankfurt to strategic planning and discussions focusing on four major areas (Organization and Administration, Marketing and Outreach, Finance, and Biologicals) for the Alliance.  Board and Executive Committee members outlined key activities that will help IABS address what has changed in the world that impacts the way we will fulfill our missions.  Future newsletter updates and other messages are planned to share results with all IABS members as we look ahead to our 75th Anniversary in 2030. 

2024 was also a year of transitions related to leadership of the Alliance. Member voting confirmed the appointment or reappointment of 8 Board members who will join current members for the 2024-2026 term. 

We are fortunate to have dedicated individuals on the Board and Committees in support of the Missions of IABS and Biologicals.  One of our greatest strengths is the ability to bring stakeholders together to develop innovative solutions for expanded accessibility to biological products and health tools, and I look forward to working with you in 2025 to maintain this level of excellence.

Best wishes for a healthy and prosperous new year.

Respectfully,

Rick Hill, IABS President