10th Anniversary Inflammation and Immune Diseases Drug Discovery and Development Summit

Abstract

The meeting was hosted by the Strategic Research Institute (SRi) celebrating its 10th anniversary of meetings targeting the inflammatory response. Entitled the 10th International Inflammation and Immune Diseases Drug Discovery and Development World Summit, it was held in New Brunswick, USA on 20 – 21 March 2006. A composition of keynote sessions and two parallel tracks, the meeting drew on the wide-ranging application of targeting drugs that modulate the immune response and have anti-inflammatory activity in a number of human diseases, including psoriasis, actinic keratosis, allergic dermatitis, rheumatoid and osteoarthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Data were presented supporting all stages of drug discovery from target identification and validation through to lead identification and optimisation to both early- and late-stage clinical development. In addition, a number of enabling technologies were described that supported the identification of potential new therapeutics, for tracking antigen-specific B- and T cells through to the development of an immune response and for the development of novel delivery vehicles as a route to minimise toxicity profiles.