American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists

What American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists does

The American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional membership organization founded in 1986 and headquartered at 2107 Wilson Blvd., Suite 200, Arlington, Virginia. AAPS serves approximately 10,000 pharmaceutical scientists working in industry (72%), academia (23%), government (6%), and other research institutes (6%) worldwide, with a member base skewed heavily toward Ph.D.-credentialed professionals (61% Ph.D., 18% Master's, 15% Bachelor's, 5% Pharm.D.). The organization delivers value through four core revenue streams: annual membership dues (Regular $255/year, Student $60/year, Retired $85/year), conference and meeting registration across three flagship events (PharmSci 360, National Biotechnology Conference, and Summer Scientific Forum), subscription and publication revenue from four peer-reviewed journals (The AAPS Journal, AAPS PharmSciTech, AAPS Open, Pharmaceutical Research), and education programs including eCourses, webinars via Science360, and the AAPS Salary Survey benchmarking tool.

AAPS operates a community platform on Higher Logic that hosts 20+ specialized scientific communities (regulatory science, bioanalytics, formulation and delivery, clinical science, pharmaceutical quality) along with student chapters, regional discussion groups, and a mentoring program. Core technology is limited to standard off-the-shelf association management and community software — AAPS is not a technology company and does not operate proprietary AI or analytics infrastructure. Distribution is direct-to-member via the AAPS Member Portal (members.aaps.org), the AAPS Community Platform (community.aaps.org), Science360, and in-person conferences, with supporting social media presence on Facebook, X (@AAPSComms), LinkedIn, and YouTube.

The business model is event- and subscription-driven: members pay recurring dues for content, networking, and career benefits; conferences generate registration and exhibitor/sponsor fees; journals generate subscription and author-side revenue; and education programs offer certificates of completion. AAPS has a core strategic partnership with Springer Nature Author Services for discounted English editing and translation services to journal authors. The organization employs 51–100 staff and is governed by a Board of Directors, with an active CSO recruitment signaling ongoing executive investment in scientific leadership.

Name

American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists

Legal name

American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists

Website

https://aaps.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional society serving approximately 10,000 pharmaceutical scientists in industry, academia, and government worldwide through membership dues, four peer-reviewed journals, three annual conferences, online communities, and continuing education programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• Pharmaceutical sciences membership
• Scientific conferences
• Peer-reviewed journals
• Professional development
• Scientific education

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual and multi-year membership fees from pharmaceutical scientists across industry, academia, government, and research institutions worldwide.
2. Conference and Meeting Registration: Registration fees for PharmSci 360, National Biotechnology Conference (NBC), Summer Scientific Forum, and other events. Includes exhibitor and sponsor revenue.
3. Journals and Publications: Publication and subscription revenue from The AAPS Journal, AAPS PharmSciTech, AAPS Open, and Pharmaceutical Research.
4. Education and eLearning: Revenue from eCourses, workshops, and professional development programs for pharmaceutical scientists.
5. Business and Partnering Services: Partner, exhibitor, and sponsor fees for meetings and conferences. Member demographic data services for business partners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

AAPS is a nonprofit professional membership organization that advances pharmaceutical sciences by providing individual scientists with peer-reviewed journals (The AAPS Journal, AAPS PharmSciTech, AAPS Open, Pharmaceutical Research), annual scientific conferences (PharmSci 360, National Biotechnology Conference, Summer Scientific Forum), online education (eCourses, workshops, Science360 webinars), networking communities, mentoring, and career resources including an industry salary survey.

Product overview

AAPS is a professional membership organization for pharmaceutical scientists, offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational resources, publications, conferences, and online community platforms. The core offerings include four peer-reviewed journals (The AAPS Journal, AAPS PharmSciTech, AAPS Open, and Pharmaceutical Research), three major conferences (PharmSci 360, National Biotechnology Conference, and Summer Scientific Forum), and an online education platform featuring eCourses, workshops, and webinars through Science360. Additional member services include the AAPS Communities discussion platform, Newsmagazine publication, salary survey tools, and mentoring programs. The organization serves approximately 10,000 members across industry, academia, government, and research institutes worldwide, providing professional development, networking, and knowledge-sharing resources to advance pharmaceutical science.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The AAPS Journal
• AAPS PharmSciTech
• AAPS Open
• Pharmaceutical Research
• PharmSci 360
• National Biotechnology Conference (NBC)
• Summer Scientific Forum
• eCourses and Workshops
• Science360
• AAPS Newsmagazine
• AAPS Communities
• Books and eBooks
• AAPS Salary Survey
• Mentoring Program
• Student Chapters

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Springer NaturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAAPS has partnered with Springer Nature Author Services to provide English language editing, translation, and illustration services at discounted rates to all AAPS members. Springer Nature helps thousands of researchers worldwide present their research in polished English suitable for publication in top journals.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Chemical Society (ACS): ACS is one of the largest U.S. scientific professional societies, with a similar nonprofit membership model anchored by peer-reviewed journals, major national meetings (e.g., ACS Spring/Fall), and 20+ technical divisions. It is a broad incumbent that overlaps with AAPS in pharmaceutical and medicinal chemistry disciplines and competes for the same industry and academic scientist members.
• International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP): FIP is a global nonprofit federation of national pharmaceutical associations and individual pharmacists/scientists. It runs the annual FIP Congress, publishes pharmaceutical science and practice content, and serves a similar professional membership role internationally, making it a broad incumbent peer in the same professional association category.
• Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO): BIO is the world's largest biotechnology trade association, hosting the BIO International Convention and serving the broader biotech ecosystem. While it is a broader industry trade body rather than a scientific society, it overlaps with AAPS on industry-employed pharmaceutical scientist attendees, exhibitor/sponsor relationships, and conference-driven engagement.

Direct peers

• American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET): ASPET is a U.S. nonprofit pharmacology society operating a comparable model: membership dues, peer-reviewed journals (e.g., Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics), and an annual meeting (ASPET Annual Meeting at Experimental Biology). It directly competes with AAPS for pharmacology and drug development scientists across industry and academia.
• Drug Information Association (DIA): DIA is a neutral, global nonprofit membership organization serving professionals in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industries. It runs major annual meetings (DIA Global Annual Meeting), workshops, and educational programming that directly overlap with AAPS's industry-pharmaceutical-scientist audience and conference-driven GTM motion.
• Parenteral Drug Association (PDA): PDA is a nonprofit association serving the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industry with a strong focus on manufacturing science, quality, and regulatory topics. It runs annual conferences, training programs, and technical reports serving a similar industry-employed pharmaceutical scientist base to AAPS.
• International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE): ISPE is a nonprofit professional association for pharmaceutical engineering and manufacturing professionals. It operates conferences (ISPE Annual Meeting), training courses, and publications serving an overlapping industry scientist audience focused on drug development and manufacturing—closely aligned with AAPS's industry-skewed membership base.
• American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (ASCPT): ASCPT is a nonprofit scientific society for clinical pharmacologists with a similar membership, journal (Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics), and annual meeting model. It competes with AAPS for clinical and translational pharmaceutical science members in industry and academia.

Emerging players

• Controlled Release Society (CRS): CRS is a smaller nonprofit professional society focused on delivery science and technology in pharmaceuticals, hosting the CRS Annual Meeting & Exposition and publishing delivery-focused journals. It is a niche, emerging-style peer whose subject matter (formulation and drug delivery) directly intersects with AAPS's formulation and delivery community.

Regional players

• Royal Pharmaceutical Society: The Royal Pharmaceutical Society is the U.K.'s professional body for pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists, with membership, publications, and professional development programs analogous to AAPS. It is a regional peer operating primarily in the U.K. but addressing a substantially overlapping professional audience and value proposition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aapscomms
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/AAPSPharmaceutica
• Facebookfacebook.com/americanassociationofpharmaceuticalscientists
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-association-of-pharmaceutical-scientists--aaps-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists