Researchers, clinicians, and industry experts from several South East Asian countries came together to discuss cutting-edge developments in smart biomaterials, nanotechnology, and digital sensing for transdermal therapeutics and advanced wound management at a day-long seminar held at the SOA Deemed to be University here on Wednesday.
The Indo-ASEAN International Seminar (IAIS-2026), which focused on the theme ‘Engineering the Next Generation of Transdermal Care’, was organised by the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (SPS), SOA’s faculty of pharmaceutical sciences.
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The discussion centred on smart transdermal systems, which have marked a major advancement in modern healthcare. “Today, we are moving beyond traditional wound dressing and simple drug delivery methods towards intelligent, responsive and multifunctional biomaterials,” Prof. A. Bose, Convener of the event, said.
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These advanced systems support faster wound healing, better infection control, reduced inflammation, and improved pain management by combining treatment with real-time sensing and diagnosis, he said.
Prof. Bose stated that this integration had led to the development of a new class of theranostic transdermal systems. “A key focus of this seminar is the development of intelligent biomaterials designed to respond to changes in the body and deliver drugs in a controlled and timely manner, improving treatment accuracy, safety, and patient comfort,” he said.
Researchers and technocrats from several ASEAN countries, including Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and Brunei, attended the seminar, which was presided over by SOA Vice-Chancellor Prof. Pradipta Kumar Nanda.
Prof. Santanu Dhara, Professor, School of Medical Science and Technology, IIT Kharagpur, and Dr. Orawan Suwantong, Associate Professor, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand, addressed two scientific sessions. While Prof. Dhara spoke on the topic ‘Ethically sources biomaterials through innovative processing for Wound Management’, Dr. Suwantong delivered a lecture on ‘Utilisation of biopolymer-based wound dressings incorporated with natural product extracts for diverse wound management.’
Prof. Dhara said medical research and pharmacy were trans-disciplinary areas where doctors, engineers, and medical scientists have to work together for the good of mankind.
He said scientists came to know about the stem cells only in 1991, while stem cell therapy was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the USA in 2024. India followed suit in 2025, he said, adding that lots of ideas were getting amalgamated today for better healthcare delivery.
The different sessions were addressed by Dr. Rajan Rajabalaya, Assistant Professor, Universiti Brunei Darussalam; Dr. Anju R. Babu, Assistant Professor, NIT Rourkela; Dr. Rehan Khan, Scientist-E, Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Mohali; and Dr. Siti Efliza Binti Ashari, Associate Professor, Universiti Putra Malaysia.
Prof. Debajyoti Das, Dean, SPS, welcomed the speakers and participants, while Prof. Anup Samantaray, Pro-Vice Chancellor, SOA, delivered the keynote address in the valedictory session. It also featured review remarks by Prof. B.B. Subudhi, Head of the Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, SPS, while Prof. Goutam Rath, Head of the Department, Pharmaceutics, SPS, presented the epilogue.
The scientific sessions were chaired by Dr. Subrata Mallick, Professor, Prof. Snigdha Pattnaik, Head of Department, Industrial Pharmacy, Prof. Pratap Kumar Sahu, Head of Department, Pharmacology, and Prof. P. Sudhir Kumar, Head of Department, Pharmaceutical Chemistry. Prof. Laxmidhar Maharana, Professor, coordinated the seminar.
The successful conduct of the seminar reinforced SOA’s commitment to promoting international academic collaboration and advancing research in transdermal drug delivery and advanced pharmaceutical sciences.
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