Drug Discovery and the New Biology (Reducing Attrition Rates BioTuesday)

February's BioTuesday will take place from 18:00-21:30pm at Brookes on the Park Restaurant, MEPC Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 4RR. 

BioTuesday will again be an opportunity for networking (with wine and canapes) within the regional biotechnology and healthcare community. Registration is FREE for participants from biopharmaceutical, diagnostics, medical device, CRO, biomanufacturing companies as well as free for academics. Service providers and others will be charged ??50 (ex VAT).

To register for this event, please contact us by emailing liz.wragg@oxfordshirebioscience.net including the event, your name, job title, company, email address, full postal address, phone and fax (if available) in your message, or simply phone Liz Wragg on 01865 483449

8.00 -     Networking session with wine and finger buffet

Prof David A Fell:  The Power of Systems Biology for PK/PD Modelling

Abstract:

Physiomics plc uses systems biology with integrated whole body ADME models to optimise the preclinical to Phase II transition. The integrated approach arose through a collaboration with Bayer Technology Services GmbH (BTS). Physiomics operates from Oxford, and was founded in mid 2001 and listed on the AIM market in 2004. Physiomics develops sophisticated computer simulations of mammalian cells designed for pharmaceutical development and customised to customer compounds and data. Other simulations are being developed for apoptosis and signalling pathways. When combined with BTS's PK­Sim?? physiology-based pharmacokinetics models, a powerful system integrated through the novel Clinicophore emerges. This aims to optimise dose, evaluate scheduling options and enables more decisive trials. The Clinicophore has four elements: whole body models of rat, mouse dog and human; prediction of dose response curves from target IC50 data, assessment of pathway and system responses including virtual cancer cell populations and finally clinical dose scheduling optimisation.

Speaker profile:

Professor David Fell, is the Chief Scientific Officer and Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board. He is Assistant Dean of the School of Biological and Molecular Sciences at Oxford Brookes University and is recognised as an expert in systems biology. Professor Fell runs a research team at Oxford Brookes University where current projects include the analysis of the structure of metabolic networks, the computer simulation of signal transduction and elementary modes for the analysis of metabolism and metabolic engineering. He is the author or co-author of approximately 85 scientific publications and has written one of the standard textbooks, ??????Understanding the Control of Metabolism?????? in the area of metabolic control analysis. Professor Fell has been involved with the Company since 2001.

Dr. George Mcallister, Head of Operations, Oxford Genome Sciences

Proteomics and Drug Discovery

Oxford Genome Sciences (OGeS) is a specialized biotechnology company, with an integrated proteomics and genomics discovery platform, that is striving to become a leader in the development of new medicines and diagnostics. OGeS also offers both gel and non-gel based proteomic services to pharmaceutical companies to identify new targets and biomarkers relevant to all stages of drug development. Using our unique disease protein database (OGAP??) to establish disease or drug specificity at this early discovery phase greatly increases the therapeutic relevance of our targets and biomarkers. The OGeS team has considerable experience and know-how in this area, with a track record of technology innovation and successful milestone delivery. The utility of our protein biomarkers covers a broad range of applications from early disease diagnosis/patient stratification, though indicators of drug toxicity, response and efficacy to the integration of diagnostics into drug development and product launch.

Prior to joining OGeS in October 2006, George was a Director in the Molecular & Cellular Department of Merck's Neuroscience Research Centre in Harlow, U.K., supervising efforts in a variety of areas including (a) exploratory psychiatry (new target ID, validation, assay development, med chem support, etc) and (b) molecular profiling (quantitative proteomics, RNA profiling, bioinformatics, biomarker identification). He was project director on a number of projects that delivered compounds into clinical development and has co-authored more than 45 papers in various areas of drug discovery.

Tom Klenka, Drug Discovery Specialist, Millipore, "Predictive Biochemical Testing of New Compounds"

Moving predictive biochemical testing of new compounds has the aim of reducing the 'time to failure' of small molecules intended for therapeutic purposes.  One strategy has been to look at profiles of compounds against the broadest possible panels of targets to investigate the possibility of uncovering patterns that might point to liabilities in late stage development or in the clinic.  Little is known about such predictive profiling patterns largely do to the lack of breadth in available panels and the costs associated with screening non-lead compounds as a source of reference.  At Millipore's R&D we have been addressing such issues by
screening the largest commercially available GPCR, Kinase and Ion Channel targets.  Early data of these investigations will be presented.

Rachel Fallon, VP R&D and Operations, Procognia

"Protein Function arrays: kinase compound profiling applications"

Speaker profile:

Over 20 years experience in the bioscience business working with genomics and proteomics technologies.
Amersham Biosciences 17 years  as R&D Director
Procognia Ltd VP R&D and Operations
Background in biochemistry and molecular biology

Contact Name: Liz Wragg
Contact Email: liz.wragg@oxfordshirebioscience.net
Contact Number: 01865 483449