Welcome

The SMR has historically reserved its December meeting for the presentation of newly marketed or close-to market drugs, to provide examples of successful Discovery and Development programmes. Popular as these meetings have proved, they may be criticised in one respect so far as the Discovery scientist is concerned; the publication of the acquired knowledge comes late in the drug development cycle. This year, the Society has opted to redress the balance somewhat and devote this meeting to newly declared clinical candidates. The variety of the selected examples is deliberately wide and provides an alert to a host of potential therapeutic applications.

The speakers have, likewise, been carefully selected so that the companies holding a leadership position in each category are best represented;

• Merck ( Bob Carling) GABA A a 2/ a 3 receptor agonists for the treatment of anxiety without habit formation and the adverse effects upon cognition and sexual function experienced with conventional anxiolytics – Phase II completed,
• GSK ( Gerard Giblin) CB2 receptor agonists for the treatment of inflammatory pain – Phase I complete with Phase II during 2005,
• AstraZeneca (Laurent Hennequin) An orally active VEGF receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor for the treatment of solid tumours – Phase II,
• GSK ( David Wilson) Histamine H3 antagonists for the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease and other neurological disorders – Phase I complete,
• Organon (Ton Bom) Sugammedex a fast-acting cyclodextrin-derived binding agent for the reversal of neuromuscular block – Phase III,
• Pfizer (David Pryde) The discovery of neutral endopeptidase (NEP; neprilysin) inhibitors for a host of potential clinical applications including sexual dysfunction,
• Novartis (Alexandre Trifilieff ) Indacaterol, a once-daily ß2 agonist for the treatment of respiratory disease which threatens the stranglehold currently enjoyed by salmeterol – Phase III,
• UCB (Benoit Kenda) Second generation Keppra analogues for the treatment of epilepsy – Phase II.

The industry is all too aware of the numbers of clinical candidates required to ensure success measured in terms of market launches. This meeting provides an important opportunity to become acquainted with new avenues of clinical investigation at a period in their life history when meaningful assessment of their potential can be made. We hope you find the conference both enjoyable and stimulating.

Dr Richard Armer & Dr Jason Witherington
Meeting Organizers