Addressing the challenges in translational pharmacology through academic-industrial collaboration

Sophie Bradley
Senior Lecturer, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Brian Hudson
Lecturer, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) regulate almost every (patho)physiological process and are the most intensively studied drug targets.  Approximately 27% of non-olfactory GPCRs have been successfully targeted in the clinic.  However, there remains more than 50% of non-olfactory GPCR subtypes that are yet to be explored in clinical trials, indicating that the promise held by GPCR targets in drug discovery is yet to be fully realised.  The challenge for translational pharmacology is to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying drug efficacy in the context of human diseases in order to inform the rational design of GPCR therapies and to improve the translation of drug candidates to practise.  This symposium aims to illustrate how academic and industrial partnerships are addressing this challenge, by working in collaboration to exploit novel GPCR targets for the treatment of human diseases.
This symposium will include 4 "pairs" of academic-industrial speakers:

Talk title to be confirmed
Dr Chris Langmead
Monash Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Australia

Apelin receptor atomic structure and pharmacology of novel ligands
Dr Janet Maguire
College Lecturer in Medicine, Queen's College Cambridge, United Kingdom
Dr Alastair Brown
Sosei-Heptares

Oral communication speaker - to be confirmed in 2023.

Talk title to be confirmed
Professor Jan Steyaert
Vrije Universiteit, Brussel
Christel Menet
Confo Therapeutics

Talk title to be confirmed
Professor Graeme Milligan
University of Glasgow, United Kingdom
Dr Vera Nies
Programme Manager at Foundation Lygature, and Charity Programme Lead at the European Lead Factory