The conference program can be downloaded here: ASCEPT-APSA FINAL PROGRAM
Abstracts can be viewed by clicking on the links below. The abstract number is indicated in the conference program as a purple number after each presentation title.
ASCEPT-APSA Oral Abstracts 100-201
ASCEPT-APSA Oral Abstracts 202 – 330
ASCEPT-APSA Poster Abstracts 400-486
ASCEPT-APSA Poster Abstracts 487-569
ASCEPT-APSA Poster Abstracts 570-644
Summary of Conference Symposia
Drug Transporters in Clinical Pharmacokinetics and Drug-Drug Interactions
Drug transporters are increasingly recognised as key determinants of the safety and efficacy of medicines. There is currently considerable research effort focussing on understanding the role that transporters play in mediating clinically significant drug-drug interactions. This symposium will provide an update on advances in knowledge and experimental systems related to drugs transporters with a focus on aspects of drug development and clinical pharmacology.
The Yin and Yang of Novel Receptor Drug Discovery Paradigms
Traditional approaches to receptor-based drug discovery, efficacy validation and safety profiling have relied on a relatively narrow focus on canonical signalling pathways linked to a given drug target. However, recent years have witnessed a dramatic change in our views of cellular signalling due to the discovery of allosteric receptor modulation and pathway (receptor conformation)-biased signalling. These novel paradigms of drug action promise to yield more selective and effective medicines, but the extent to which they contribute to unappreciated off-target drug effects is essentially unknown. This symposium will present state-of-the art studies ranging from cellular to in vivo disease models, with a view to illustrating both the promise and the pitfalls associated with discovering safer medicines exploiting these novel mechanisms of action.
Emerging Trends in Dose Individualisation in Clinical Practice
This symposium will promote the use of best-practice dose individualisation (Therapeutic Drug Monitoring) by focussing on Bayesian and/or other PK modelling approaches being applied in clinical practice and the application of pharmacogenomic information in the clinical setting. Panel discussion with audience participation in considering current hindrances/limitations to the application of these approaches, with potential solutions, will also be provided.
The Patient Journey
This symposium will examine the journey of patients thorough the health system with a focus on informing a safer healthcare system. Topics will include the consumer perspective on medication safety, transitions of care and the implications for the health system.
Sex Differences in Chronic Diseases: Implications for Future Therapies
This symposium will examine the sex differences that are often seen in the development and progression of chronic diseases, and how these sex differences may influence the choice and development of future therapeutic strategies. It will also examine the mechanisms by which sex hormones (oestrogen and testosterone) and sex chromosomes (XX and XY) contribute to chronic disease. The proposed speakers have a diverse array of interests and expertise, from population genetics to animal models of neurodegeneration and cardiovascular disease.
Ion channels in Drug Discovery: Developing Safer Medications
Ion channels are established therapeutic targets for a variety of conditions. This symposium will focus on emerging research identifying ion channels as therapeutic targets for the safer treatment of cancer and specific pain states. The symposium will consider issues related to ion channels in the drug development process, including effects on the cardiovascular system and the significance of ion channel mutations. The presentations will have a focus on the development of safer therapies.
Drug Safety: Clinical Pharmacology at the Epicentre
This symposium would feature experts in drug safety. This symposium will cover aspects of preclinical drug safety investigations, public health aspects including drug safety epidemiology, pharmacogenomics and safety of medicines in older people.
Novel Drug Delivery Strategies with Clinical Applications
This symposium will innovative international developments in the field of drug delivery and the clinical application of these innovations. This symposium will cover novel approaches for gene delivery and/or systemic cancer targeting, novel encapsulation approaches to enhance anti-cancer delivery to the oral mucosa, approaches for vaccine delivery and novel coating mechanisms to enhance targeted delivery.
Joint ASCEPT-APSA Education Symposium
This symposium will address contemporary issues in learning and teaching including the updates on recent national projects and innovations in education.
Metabolites and Medication Safety
This symposium will consider the role of active metabolites and their impact on drug candidate selection in drug discovery and development including the role of metabolic activation and active metabolites as novel anti-cancer therapies, separation of the metabolite from the parent drug contributions to drug response and modified response profiles of allosteric drugs due to metabolism of the parent compound.
Medication Safety: Systems and Practice
This symposium will explore recent developments on aspects of medications safety with a focus on pharmacovigilance including risk management plans, spontaneous reporting systems and building a safer health system including applications in practice.
Speakers
Opening speaker – Emeritus Prof Kim Oates AM, The University of Sydney

British Pharmacological Society speaker – Dr Yoon Loke, University of East Anglia, UK

APSA speaker – Prof Gregory Peterson, University of Tasmania

ASCEPT speaker – Professor Kathie Knights PhD, Flinders University, South Australia

The main focus of her research is the enzymology of drug metabolism and in particular the metabolism and renal and cardiovascular toxicity of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Other research areas include the inter-relationships between xenobiotic and endobiotic metabolism and the in vitro–in vivo correlation of drugs eliminated by glucuronidation. To date she has published >150 journal articles and abstracts in peer reviewed international journals, five book chapters and is currently a member of the editorial boards of Drug Metabolism Reviews and the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. She is co-author of the highly successful text Pharmacology for Health Professionals. In addition to her research Professor Knights is actively involved in the education of health professionals including medical and paramedic students and Nurse Practitioners.
2012 APSA Medalist – Emeritus Prof Andrew Gilbert, University of South Australia
