Summary of Conference Symposia
Symposium 1: Drug Transporters in Clinical Pharmacokinetics and Drug-Drug Interactions
Prof Jashvant Unadkat, University of Washington, USA
Prof Dhiren Thakker, University of North Carolina, USA
Prof Kim Brouwer, University of North Carolina, USA
Prof William Elmquist, University of Minnesota, USA
Drug transporters are increasingly recognised as key determinants of the safety and efficacy of medicines. There is currently considerable research effort focussing on understanding the role that transporters play in mediating clinically significant drug-drug interactions. This symposium will provide an update on advances in knowledge and experimental systems related to drugs transporters with a focus on aspects of drug development and clinical pharmacology.
Symposium 2: The Yin and Yang of Novel Receptor Drug Discovery Paradigms
Prof Alastair Stewart, The University of Melbourne
Prof Andrew Tobin, University of Leicester, UK
Dr Laura Bohn, The Scripps Research Institute, Florida, USA
Dr Denise Wootten, Monash University
Traditional approaches to receptor-based drug discovery, efficacy validation and safety profiling have relied on a relatively narrow focus on canonical signalling pathways linked to a given drug target. However, recent years have witnessed a dramatic change in our views of cellular signalling due to the discovery of allosteric receptor modulation and pathway (receptor conformation)-biased signalling. These novel paradigms of drug action promise to yield more selective and effective medicines, but the extent to which they contribute to unappreciated off-target drug effects is essentially unknown. This symposium will present state-of-the art studies ranging from cellular to in vivo disease models, with a view to illustrating both the promise and the pitfalls associated with discovering safer medicines exploiting these novel mechanisms of action.
Symposium 3: Emerging Trends in Dose Individualisation in Clinical Practice
Assoc Prof Michael Neely, University of Southern California, USA
Assoc Prof Jennifer Martin, The University of Queensland
Prof Elizabeth Phillips, Institute for Immunology & Infectious Diseases
Dr Paul Chin, University of Otago, NZ
This symposium will promote the use of best-practice dose individualisation (Therapeutic Drug Monitoring) by focussing on Bayesian and/or other PK modelling approaches being applied in clinical practice and the application of pharmacogenomic information in the clinical setting. Panel discussion with audience participation in considering current hindrances/limitations to the application of these approaches, with potential solutions, will also be provided.
Symposium 4: The Patient Journey
Ms Aileen Collier, Centre for Health Communication, University of Technology Sydney
Ms Karen Kaye, NPS MedicineWise
This symposium will examine the journey of patients thorough the health system with a focus on informing a safer healthcare system. Topics will include the consumer perspective on medication safety, transitions of care and the implications for the health system.
Symposium 5: Metabolites and Medication Safety
E/Prof Geoff Tucker, SimCYP, UK
Dr Kashyap Patel, Monash University
Dr Michael Weise, University of South Australia
This symposium will consider the role of active metabolites and their impact on drug candidate selection in drug discovery and development including the role of metabolic activation and active metabolites as novel anti-cancer therapies, separation of the metabolite from the parent drug contributions to drug response and modified response profiles of allosteric drugs due to metabolism of the parent compound.
Symposium 6: Ion channels in Drug Discovery: Developing Safer Medications
Dr Lachlan Rash, The University of Queensland
Prof Peter McIntyre, The University of Melbourne
Prof Mary Chebib, The University of Sydney
Dr Tamara Paravicini, The University of Queensland
Ion channels are established therapeutic targets for a variety of conditions. This symposium will focus on emerging research identifying ion channels as therapeutic targets for the safer treatment of cancer and specific pain states. The symposium will consider issues related to ion channels in the drug development process, including effects on the cardiovascular system and the significance of ion channel mutations. The presentations will have a focus on the development of safer therapies.
Symposium 7: Drug Safety: Clinical Pharmacology at the Epicentre
Dr Yoon Loke, University of East Anglia, UK
Dr Kathlyn Ronaldson, Monash University
Prof Elizabeth Phillips, Murdoch University
Prof David Le Couteur, The University of Sydney
This symposium would feature experts in drug safety. This symposium will cover aspects of preclinical drug safety investigations, public health aspects including drug safety epidemiology, pharmacogenomics and safety of medicines in older people.
Symposium 8: Novel Drug Delivery Strategies with Clinical Applications
Dr Kim Chan, The University of Sydney
Prof Arto Urtti, University of Helsinki
This symposium will innovative international developments in the field of drug delivery and the clinical application of these innovations. This symposium will cover novel approaches for gene delivery and/or systemic cancer targeting, novel encapsulation approaches to enhance anti-cancer delivery to the oral mucosa, approaches for vaccine delivery and novel coating mechanisms to enhance targeted delivery.
Symposium 9: Joint ASCEPT-APSA Education Symposium
Prof Kathie Knights, Flinders University
Dr Hilary Lloyd, The University of Sydney
Dr Richard Loiacono, Monash University
This symposium will address contemporary issues in learning and teaching including the updates on recent national projects and innovations in education.
Symposium 10: Sex Differences in Chronic Diseases: Implications for Future Therapies
Prof Lea Delbridge, The University of Melbourne
Dr Amanda Sampson, Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute
Assoc Prof Kate Denton, Monash University
Prof Anthony Hannan, University of Melbourne
Prof Fadi Charchar, University of Ballarat
This symposium will examine the sex differences that are often seen in the development and progression of chronic diseases, and how these sex differences may influence the choice and development of future therapeutic strategies. It will also examine the mechanisms by which sex hormones (oestrogen and testosterone) and sex chromosomes (XX and XY) contribute to chronic disease. The proposed speakers have a diverse array of interests and expertise, from population genetics to animal models of neurodegeneration and cardiovascular disease.
Symposium 11: Medication Safety: Systems and Practice
Dr Romano Fois, The University of Sydney
Prof Ric Day, St Vincent’s Hospital
Prof Emily Banks, Australian National University
This symposium will explore recent developments on aspects of medications safety with a focus on pharmacovigilance including risk management plans, spontaneous reporting systems and building a safer health system including applications in practice.
Satellite Meeting
Therapeutic drug monitoring fundamentals and emerging trends – focus on antimicrobials
This meeting will bring together all healthcare professionals involved in therapeutic drug monitoring, especially those involved in the use of antimicrobial agents. The meeting is aimed at medical scientists, chemical pathologists, pharmacists, clinical pharmacologists and infectious diseases physicians. The principles of therapeutic drug monitoring will be introduced and discussed, illustrated with antimicrobial drugs. Current practices and issues of analysis, interpretation and delivery will be covered. Emerging trends in target concentration interventions will be presented using antimicrobial examples. Speakers include prominent national speakers and our international speaker is Dr Michael Neely from the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California and the Laboratory of Applied Pharmacokinetics, Los Angeles. Dr Neely is an infectious diseases physician and will be presenting from his substantial clinical application of computer based pharmacokinetic modelling in clinical practice.
Date: Thursday, 6 December 2012
Time: 8.25am – 4.45pm
Venue: University of Sydney, School of Pharmacy, Lecture Room N342
Participant fee: $200, students: $50. Fees include attendance at all sessions, morning and afternoon teas, and a light lunch
Registration: via the conference registration page if you are attending the Joint ASCEPT-APSA 2012 Scientific Conference.
For more information, please contact Ross Norris at Ross.Norris@mater.org.au or Betty Sallustio at Benedetta.Sallustio@health.sa.gov.au
TDM satellite program as at 26 October 2012
under the auspices of IATDMCT, AACB and SHPA.
Workshops
ASCEPT-APSA Pre conference workshop: Immunity in cardiovascular disease: current perspectives
Emerging evidence suggests that immunity and inflammation are key regulators of a wide range of cardiovascular diseases, resulting in a dramatic shift in how the pathology of most types of cardiovascular disease is viewed. Due to the nature of immunity, in order for immune mediators to be used to monitor disease or present as potential pharmacological targets an in depth understanding of the underlying contributing processes is essential. We have an exciting list of speakers covering the role of inflammation, and in particular innate and adaptive immunity in cardiovascular disease.
Date: Saturday, 1 December 2012
Time: 2.00pm – 6.00pm
Venue: Novotel Rockford Darling Harbour
Cost: $60 (includes afternoon tea)
Registration: via the conference registration page if you are attending the Joint ASCEPT-APSA 2012 Scientific Conference. If you are only attending this workshop, complete the ASCEPT-APSA_workshop_only_registration_form
For more information, please contact Dr Karen Andrews at Karen.Andrews@bakeridi.edu.au
Program
2:00-2:35 Inflammation and immunity in angiogenesis inhibition, Prof Levon Khachigian, UNSW Centre for Vascular Research
2:35-3:10 Monocytes, macrophages, caveolin-1 and HDL, Prof Jaye Chin-Dusting, Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Research Institute
3:10-3:45 Attenuating inate immunity in stroke. From animal models to bedside, Dr Thiruma Arumugam, University of Queensland
3:45-4:15 Afternoon tea
4:15-4:40 Hypertension down to a T (cell), Dr Antony Vinh, Monash University
4:40-5:05 High-density lipoproteins suppress the chemokines and chemokine receptors that are important in the development of atherosclerosis, Dr Christina Bursill, Heart Research Institute
5:05- 5:30 Cardio-protective action of AT4 receptor/IRAP inhibition involves anti-inflammatory effects, Dr Tracey Gaspari, Monash University
5:30-5:55 Myocardial infarction induces inflammation in specific brain regions, Prof Emilio Badoer, RMIT University
PGx: new research interests and directions
The workshop will take the form of 8 mini-presentations of 10 min plus 5 min question time. The focus of the presentations is to be on new research interests and directions that could encompass new methods, patient sample banks, etc that are being established. We would like to invite people to nominate for presentation by reply email to janet.coller@adelaide.edu.au with a title and 1-2 sentence description of the presentation by COB Friday 23rd November. We would especially encourage student and early career researchers to take part.
Date: Sunday, 2 December 2012
Time: 10.00am – 12.00noon
Venue: Sydney Convention Centre, Ground Floor Parkside, Room G04
Cost: Complimentary
Registration: RSVP by COB Friday 23rd November to Janet Coller at janet.coller@adelaide.edu.au
ASCEPT-APSA Careers Workshop – “Careers in the Pharmaceutical Industry”
Date: Sunday, 2 December 2012
Time: 2.30pm-4.30pm
Venue: Sydney Convention Centre
Cost: Complimentary
Registration: Register for the workshop via the conference registration page
The workshop will feature successful scientists who have pursued careers in the pharmaceutical industry. The workshop is designed to provide students and postdoctoral fellows with an insight into career options available to them in the pharmaceutical industry ranging from sales and marketing roles through to directing clinical trials. Panellists will discuss issues including the career path leading to their current role, day to day tasks, positive and negative aspects of the job, remuneration packages etc. There will also be plenty of opportunities for questions including a panel discussion at the end of the session.
Facilitators: Dr Barbara Kemp-Harper (Senior Lecturer, Monash University); Ms Claire Johnston (PhD student, University of Sydney); Ms Alice Kane (PhD student, University of Sydney)
Target Audience: Honours students, PhD students and early career postdoctoral fellows
Admission: Admission to the Careers Workshop is free and open to all registrants of the joint ASCEPT/APSA Scientific Meeting.
Speakers
1. Dr Annette Gross (Director, Ethnopharmacology, GlaxoSmithKline R&D)
2. Dr Richard Booth (Sales Training Manager, iNOVA Pharmaceuticals)
3. Dr Craig Rayner (Director of Clinical Pharmacology, Roche)
4. Dr Amanda Reid (Managing Director, Daryl Alexander & Associates)
5. Panel discussion
For more information, please contact Dr Barbara Kemp-Harper at Barbara.Kemp@monash.edu
ASCEPT-APSA Education Forum workshop
Date: Sunday, 2 December 2012
Time: 2.30pm-4.30pm
Agenda:
2.30 – 3.00 Introduction and scene setting; TEQSA; Standards Panel and TLOs – Prof Ieva Stupans, University of New England
3.00 – 4.30 APSA … Mapping assessment to TLOs for Pharmacy – Prof Ieva Stupans, University of New England
3.00 – 4.30 ASCEPT … What is the relevance of TLOs for the teaching of pharmacology? – Dr Liz Davis, Monash University & Dr Tina Hinton, University of Sydney
Venue: Sydney Convention Centre
Cost: Complimentary
Registration: Register for the workshop via the conference registration page
ASCEPT-APSA Clinical Pharmacology workshop
Date: Sunday, 2 December 2012
Time: 2.30pm-4.30pm
Agenda:
Welcome and introduction to TDM/TCI, Matt Doogue
Measuring drug concentrations, analytical methods and issues, Andrew Rowland
Digoxin, a classic, Ray Morris
The perhexiline story, John Horowitz
Panel discussion
Venue: Sydney Convention Centre
Cost: Complimentary
Registration: Register for the workshop via the conference registration page
Keynote speakers
Opening speaker
Emeritus Prof Kim Oates AM
The University of Sydney
Kim Oates MD DSc MHP FRACP FRCP is Director of Undergraduate Quality and Safety at the Clinical Excellence Commission, Sydney, Australia. He held the Chair of Paediatrics and Child Health at the University of Sydney from 1985 to 1997 and was simultaneously Chair of the Division of Medicine at the Children’s Hospital in Sydney. He was Chief Executive of the Children’s Hospital from 1997 to 2006, a position which strengthened his passion for patient safety. He has written or edited 13 books and has over 300 publications. His clinical interests include child development, behaviour and the problems of abuse and neglect of children. He has received a range of international and national awards for research and for advocacy on behalf of children. His is Emeritus Professor at the University of Sydney where he is involved in a range of projects including developing and teaching in a leadership course for recent medical graduates from Hanoi Medical University.
British Pharmacological Society speaker
Dr Yoon Loke
University of East Anglia, UK
Dr Yoon K Loke is Senior Lecturer in Clinical Pharmacology at the University of East Anglia, and Co-Convenor of the Cochrane Adverse Effects Methods Group. He has extensive experience in conducting systematic reviews of adverse effects, and is the lead author of Chapter 14 in the Cochrane Handbook of Systematic Reviews. His main interests are in assessing harmful effects from drugs such as the proton pump inhibitors, thiazolidinediones, and inhalers for airway disease. He also serves as Deputy Chair of the National Institute of Health Research Health Technology Assessment Pharmaceutics Panel, and European Editor for the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. Dr Loke’s main interest is on how systematic review methodology can be used to answer clinically relevant questions on the adverse effects of medication.
APSA speaker
Prof Gregory Peterson
University of Tasmania
As Professor of Pharmacy and Head of School of Pharmacy at the University of Tasmania, Greg has held a personal Chair in Pharmacy at the University of Tasmania since 2000, awarded on the basis of his research and teaching excellence. Greg has led many state and national projects directed at improving the use of medications and patient outcomes in both community and hospital sectors. Greg established and leads an innovative research unit in Improving Medication Outcomes (UMORE; Unit for Medication Outcomes Research and Education). He has more than 150 research papers published in refereed international and national journals, plus more than 150 professional publications, and has been an editor/chapter contributor for 10 books. He is Co-Editor of Blackwell-Wiley’s Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics. He has served as an alternate Director of the National Prescribing Service. He is currently a member of the Australian Government’s Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Committee and the Drug Utilisation Subcommittee, Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee. Greg is still a practicing pharmacist (working 6 hours each week), accredited consultant pharmacist, and has until recently co-owned a large rural community pharmacy. In 2007 he was awarded the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia’s highest honour – the Australian Pharmacist of the Year.
ASCEPT speaker
Professor Kathie Knights PhD
Flinders University, South Australia
Kathie completed a BSc Honours degree in biochemistry and pharmacology in London while working at Guy’s and Kings College Hospitals. She obtained her PhD from Flinders University in 1984 and a Graduate Certificate in Tertiary Education, 1997. In 1989 she was appointed as a Lecturer in the Department of Clinical Pharmacology at Flinders University and was promoted to Professor in 2008. In 2007 she was awarded an Australian Carrick Citation for outstanding contribution to student learning and in 2010 the ASCEPT Teaching Excellence Award. A member of ASCEPT since 1980 she served as Councillor and Treasurer (1997-2000) and as ASCEPT President (2008-2009). Additionally, she has served as a Councillor (2008-2011) of the International Society for the Study of Xenobiotics (ISSX). Currently she is a member of the BPS, the Drug Metabolism Section of IUPHAR and the National Committee for Biomedical Sciences of the Australian Academy of Science.
The main focus of her research is the enzymology of drug metabolism and in particular the metabolism and renal and cardiovascular toxicity of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Other research areas include the inter-relationships between xenobiotic and endobiotic metabolism and the in vitro–in vivo correlation of drugs eliminated by glucuronidation. To date she has published >150 journal articles and abstracts in peer reviewed international journals, five book chapters and is currently a member of the editorial boards of Drug Metabolism Reviews and the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. She is co-author of the highly successful text Pharmacology for Health Professionals. In addition to her research Professor Knights is actively involved in the education of health professionals including medical and paramedic students and Nurse Practitioners.
2012 APSA Medalist
Emeritus Prof Andrew Gilbert
University of South Australia
Emeritus Prof Andrew Gilbert is the former director of The Quality Use of Medicines and Pharmacy Research Centre and the 2012 recipient of the APSA medal.Emeritus Prof Gilbert is a pharmacist and leader with an international reputation for his research in areas of medicines policy and health practice change. Translational research is a key focus of Emeritus Prof Gilbert’s research portfolio. His recent research has involved for an analysis of medication-related problems in the community, including a health economic analysis. This program led to Federal funding of Home Medication Reviews for at risk people in the community. He also led to the development and implementation of professional practice standards for the provision of non-prescription medicines through pharmacies. He has had a strong focus of research enhanced outcomes for residents of aged-care facilities through the development and implementation of guidelines for improving medication use in aged-care facilities. Emeritus Prof Gilbert was awarded the Pharmacist of the Year Award in 2005 and in 2011 he was recognized by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his work in medicines policy development, implementation and evaluation, pharmacoepidemiology and health practice change.