Registration

A Bio-active Polymer Promotes Stem Cell Derived Hepatocyte Inducible Drug Metabolism
David Hay, Chair of Tissue Engineering, MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom

The generation of hepatic endoderm (HE) from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) represents a viable route with which to generate a scalable resource for drug and toxicology testing. However, like primary human hepatocytes, hESC-derived HE demonstrates limited viability and phenotypic stability on the current state of the art tissue culture substratum, matrigel. To overcome issues of phenotypic stability and viability we have screened a polymer library and identified a defined supporting basement matrix.

Coffee Break and Networking in the Exhibition Hall

Probabilistic Model Of Regioselectivity Of Metabolism In Human Liver Microsomes
Pranas Japertas, Director, ACD Labs Inc, Lithuania

The talk will present an in silico model for prediction of the most probable sites of human liver microsomal metabolism in a molecule. The model was developed using novel GALAS methodology providing a straightforward route for estimating prediction reliability and expansion of the model applicability domain.

Morphological and Functional Characterization of Cell-Based BBB Penetration Models
Monika Vastag, Laboratory Head, Gedeon Richter Plc, Hungary

Cell-based models, like the triple co-culture model using brain derived cells, and models using MDCKII-MDRI, Caco-2 or the recently introduced VB-Caco-2 cultures can be used as cell-based tools to predict brain penetration of new drug candidates. This talk compares the critical morphological and functional features of cell-based models, using in-house generated data, which contribute towards differing/similar permeability functions.

Technology Spotlight:
GI Dissolution Assays to Model Drug Passage Through the Gut
John Comer, Chief Scientific Officer, Sirius Analytical Instruments

Lunch and Networking in the Exhibition Hall

Poster Session

Clinical Trials Utilising Radioactivity in Support of Drug Development
Stephen Madden, Head, Charles River, United Kingdom

Whether microdosing, conducting a Phase I trial or a conventional human radiolabelled study, clinical trials utilising radioactivity can provide information that cannot be obtained by any other means. How these studies can aid the drug development process will be discussed.

Coffee Break and Networking in the Exhibition Hall

Reverse Identification Disposition Mechanisms in Drug Candidate Profiling
Constance Höfer, Founder and Chief Scientist, DMPKORE, Germany

The presentation will focus on how divergent non-clinical drug disposition, efficacy and safety data could be reconciled by a systematic revision of preclinical profiling in combination with targeted supplemental in vivo and in vitro studies. The importance of optimal versus minimal ADME screening and the necessity to pursue the mechanisms of surprising advantageous as well as disadvantageous ADME/PK profiling data will be discussed.

Drinks Reception

Registration

How Well Can We Predict ADME Physicochemical Properties?
John Dearden, Professor, Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom

Physicochemical properties such as lipophilicity, aqueous solubility, pKa and several others control ADME. This presentation discusses the prediction of these properties using quantitative structure-property relationships (QSPRs) and dedicated commercial and freeware software programs.

In Silico Toxicology Approaches for Pharmaceuticals: Are Chronic Effects Predictable?
Mark Cronin, Professor, Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom

Predicting the long-term, low dose effects of drugs is one of the most challenging areas for in silico toxicology. This presentation will address what the problems are and potential solutions based around a mechanistic understanding of the toxic effects.

Coffee and Networking in the Exhibition Hall

The Application of Transgenic Models to Study Mechanisms of Drug and Chemical Toxicity
Colin Henderson, Staff Scientist and Honorary Senior Lecturer, University of Dundee, United Kingdom

The application of transgenic models is transforming drug discovery and drug development processes. Although they are used extensively in drug discovery, their application in investigative toxicology studies remains limited. This presentation will describe how these models can be used to study pathways of chemical toxicity.

Pharmacogenomics of Drug Disposition: From Polymorphisms to Biomarkers
Urs Meyer, Emeritus Professor, Biozentrum/University of Basel, Switzerland

Interindividual variability in drug efficacy and toxicity is a major cause of therapeutic failure and contributes to high attrition rates during drug development. The presentation will deal with the genetic causes of variability and the use of this knowledge in drug targeting and dose adaptation and as a biomarker of clinical outcome.

Technology Spotlight:
ADME Studies in Knockout Rats Lacking Key Drug Transporters
Heike Lehrmann, Tactical Marketing Manager, Sigma Aldrich

Lunch and Networking in the Exhibition Hall

Poster Session

Genetic Toxicology: How to Compare New or Improved Tests with Existing Tests
Richard Walmsley, Professor, University of Manchester, United Kingdom

It is tempting, but not very useful to assess a new in vitro test by comparing its results with results from other in vitro tests. This will be demonstrated with both theoretical and real examples.

Predicting Hepatotoxicity with CellCiphr HCS technology: Rat and Human Hepatotoxicity Predicton: Validation and Case Studies
Katya Tsaioun, CSO, Cyprotex, United States of America

HCS is an established platform used by many pharmaceutical companies for target screening and toxicity assessment. Validation, strategies for using at different stages of drug discovery and case studies using CellCiphr HCS technology are going to be discussed.

Coffee and Networking in the Exhibition Hall

Use of Informatics Approaches in Risk Assessments
Sandeep Modi, Cheminformatician, Unilever, United Kingdom

We have developed several in-silico models for the prediction of the bacterial reverse mutation assay (Ames test), which is widely used as an early alerting system for potential genotoxic chemicals. We have also used two simple integration methods to get consensus predictions and also to improve on the confidence and predictivity of these models. In this talk we will provide a comparison of these methods with other published work.

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