The Hamner Institutes Hosts “PBPK Modeling in Drug Development and Evaluation” Workshop

Research Triangle Park, NC, March 07, 2009 --(PR.com)-- The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences (www.thehamner.org) will host “Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling (PBPK) In Drug Development and Evaluation,” a workshop scheduled for April 6-10 in Alexandria, Va. The seminar, sponsored by The Hamner-University of North Carolina Center for Drug Safety Sciences and The Hamner Center for Human Health Assessment, will educate attendees on the use of state-of-the-art modeling and simulation techniques to assist in candidate selection, accelerate drug development and improve clinical trials design. The course is being developed in collaboration with scientists from Roche and the FDA. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Carl Peck, former Director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation Research.

PBPK modeling has been used extensively to integrate diverse information from physiology, chemistry and biochemistry to estimate the tissue doses resulting from various dosing scenarios. The course content will include a series of ten lectures, hands-on exercises such as how to conduct a safety assessment with a PBPK Model for All-Trans Retinoic Acid, and demonstrations of popular PBPK modeling software such as GastroPlus™, Pk-Sim®, and Simcyp.

The course fee is $2,000 for general participants, $1,500 for government employees and $1,200 for graduate students. The class size is limited to 40 attendees and reservations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, upon receipt of the registration form with full payment no later than March 20.

The workshop faculty will include:

Harvey J. Clewell II, Ph.D., DABT (Director, Center for Human Health Assessment)
· Clewell played a major role in the first uses of PBPK modeling in regularly decision-making at several Federal agencies including FDA, ATSDR, OSHA and EPA.

Micaela B. Reddy, Ph.D. (Research Scientist, Modeling and Simulation Group, Drug Metabolism and Pharmokinetics Department, Roche Palo Alto)
· Reddy has extensive experience in applying PBPK models to understand key mechanisms affecting pharmacokinetics in preclinical species and humans.

Melvin E. Andersen, Ph.D., CIN, DABT, FATS (Scientific Advisor, Center for Human Health Assessment)
· Anderson pioneered the use of PBPK modeling in safety and risk assessments.

To find out more information or to register for the event, visit www.thehamner.org/education-and-training/current-course-offerings.

About The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences:
The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences is a nonprofit research organization strategically located on a 56-acre campus in the heart of Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. For 35 years, scientists at The Hamner have conducted preeminent research in environmental health sciences and chemical risk assessment. Built upon an integrated systems-biology platform, The Hamner has broadened its mission to include translational research in biopharmaceutical safety, metabolic disorders, and oncology. The site also includes an Accelerator, which houses emerging companies and provides opportunities to develop collaborative research and educational programs with academia, industry, and government. The Hamner model for translational research and technology development integrates innovative science with business development while capitalizing on academic and industry partnerships. The Hamner supports the discovery of new therapeutics and formation of new companies, which leads to research-based public health policy and enhanced economic development. For more information, visit www.thehamner.org or call (919) 558-1200.

Patty Briguglio
MMI Associates, Inc.
(919) 233-6600
patty@mmimarketing.com
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