Order a 2010 Short Course DVD 

Dealing with the Blood-Brain Barrier

Tuesday, February 2, 2010 ● 9:00am – 12:00pm ● Moscone North Convention Center, San Francisco, CA

About the DVD:
Achieving blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetration remains a significant hurdle for successfully prosecuting CNS targets. Decades of research have failed to yield a single “sure-fire” approach to ensure CNS penetration. The current state of CNS drug discovery suggests that a more holistic approach is necessary, one that considers a balance of ADME and physicochemical properties. This course will examine the physiological basis for the barrier and some of the in vitro and in vivo experiments available.

DVD Recorded at:
Cambridge Healthtech Institute’s 17th International Molecular Medicine Tri-Conference.

About the Conference:
Molecular Medicine Tri-Conference -- the flagship event of CHI –built this year's event around 6 scientific channels providing attendees more learning opportunities than ever before. Featured channels include diagnostics, chemistry, informatics, biologics, cancer and executive. This expanded program provides attendees a more in depth experience into each of the six areas of research and development. As the need for better information, new technologies, improved strategies and competitive intelligence becomes ever more acute, this event provides compelling research insight into the future of molecular medicine. In 2010, the event drew over 2,700 attendees, 1200 participating companies, 150 exhibitors, 100 posters, and representatives from over 38 countries.

Agenda At A Glance:

Part I: The Special ADME Challenges for CNS Targets—Do CNS Targets Represent a More Difficult ADME Space?
Part II: Project Strategies for CNS Targets
Douglas Spracklin, Ph.D., Director, Pharmacokinetics, Dynamics and Metabolism, Pfizer, Inc.

Biography: Douglas Spracklin graduated from the University of Toronto with a B.Sc. in Chemistry. He obtained a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, where his thesis work covered a range of topics including natural product synthesis, conformational modelling to predict stereochemical outcomes, and the use of antibodies that catalyze chemical reactions. Subsequently, he “moved south of the border” to do a postdoctoral fellowship with Evan Kharasch at the University of Washington, examining the metabolism of volatile anesthetic compounds. Following that, Dr. Spracklin spent two years at Abbott Labs where the position covered the entire spectrum of drug metabolism responsibilities from Discovery through Development. Upon joining Pfizer, he worked within the CNS therapeutic area for over 8 years, having the opportunity to work on several CNS programs in both the Psychotherapeutics and Neurodegeneration areas, as well as serve as the drug metabolism representative for several development teams. Currently, Dr. Spracklin is the Director of the Biotransformation & Enzymology group within Pfizer (Groton) drug metabolism.

Defining Neuropharmacokinetic Parameters in Drug Discovery to Determine Pharmacologic Exposure-Response Relationships
Christopher L. Shaffer, Ph.D., Associate Research Fellow, Pharmacokinetics, Dynamics & Metabolism, Pfizer, Inc. Neuroscience.

Biography: Christopher Shaffer obtained his B.S. (High Honors) in chemistry from The College of William and Mary (1994). Following two years of employment as an analytical chemist for Whitehall-Robins Healthcare, Inc., he attended the University of Kansas earning a M.S. (1999) and Ph.D. (Honors, 2001) in medicinal chemistry under the mentorship of Professor Robert P. Hanzlik. Subsequently, he joined the department of Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics and Metabolism within Pfizer Global Research and Development where he is currently an Associate Research Fellow associated with the Neuroscience Research Unit. His research interests include: the discovery and development of drug candidates for CNS-related targets; translational pharmacology for neuroscience-centric behavioral, electrophysiological and PET imaging assays; mechanistic studies in drug metabolism and metabolite structure elucidation; and, the development and implementation of nascent analytical technologies. Dr. Shaffer is a member of the American Chemical Society and its Medicinal Chemistry Division, the International Society for the Study of Xenobiotics, and the Society for Neuroscience.

Price: Individual $345 Site License $1380 Over 119 minutes More than 147 slides