Biomarkers have been described as high-tech detectives that may predict who will get a disease and what the drug effects may be on patients. The value, behavior and mechanisms of biomarkers seem to differ by species, by disease, and by ease of validation among other criteria. This session will look at several types of biomarkers and will address the issues among species and in pre-clinical development as well as the importance of biomarkers and translational medicine. Case studies in Oncology and Neuroscience will be presented.
ROOM: Alexander Ballroom
MODERATOR: Michael Orsini, Principal Scientist I, Diabetes Drug Discovery, BMS

Proteins can undergo a wide range of post-translational modifications that serve as triggers for signaling events. Functional profiling of signaling pathways is promising for the identification of novel targets for drug discovery and for the understanding of disease pathogenesis. This session will address proteomic efforts such as analysis of signaling events resulting from phosphorylation, assembly of signaling complexes and informatic analysis of data that can be widely applied to understanding the activity of signaling pathways.
ROOM: Alexander Ballroom
MODERATOR: Ildiko Antal, Associate Director - Depression and Anxiety, Wyeth

There are myriad approaches for using RNA-based technologies to treat cancer and other diseases. The presentations in this session will address the effectiveness and challenges of using these techniques. siRNA, miRNA and RNAi will be the primary focus. Identification, measurement and the difference in effectiveness for miRNA and siRNA in different cell types are among the topics. Potential clinical validation issues with their use will be addressed.
ROOM: Alexander Ballroom
MODERATOR: Girish Nallur, Managing Partner, Learning Organized

One of the current challenges facing drug discovery is the early determination of a compound's fate (termination or progression) to reduce the cost associated with late-stage studies. In this context, compound profiling approaches play a crucial role in delivering higher quality leads by addressing specificity and mechanism of action. This session will review novel methods and technologies as well as challenges associated with data interpretation to identify compounds with the greatest probability of success.
ROOM: Alexander Ballroom
MODERATOR: Abdel Laoui, Director Drug Design, Sanofi-Aventis

Over the past 5 years, the tools used in Medicinal Chemistry have evolved in response to challenges faced in the identification and optimization of hits and leads. This session will describe the latest methods in medicinal chemistry in these areas, as applied to programs in CNS , Oncology , and other therapeutic areas. New approaches to assessing target engagement in vivo, achieving appropriate selectivity, and reducing risk of drug toxicity will be highlighted.
ROOM: Alexander Ballroom
MODERATOR: Marc Duey, President, ProMetrics

Over the past 5 years, the tools used in Medicinal Chemistry have evolved in response to challenges faced in the identification and optimization of hits and leads. This session will describe the latest methods in medicinal chemistry in these areas, as applied to programs in CNS , Oncology , and other therapeutic areas. New approaches to assessing target engagement in vivo, achieving appropriate selectivity, and reducing risk of drug toxicity will be highlighted.
ROOM: Alexander Ballroom
MODERATOR: Ed Narke, Principal, Design Space InPharmatics