The Drug Metabolism GRC is a premier, international scientific conference focused on advancing the frontiers of science through the presentation of cutting-edge and unpublished research, prioritizing time for discussion after each talk and fostering informal interactions among scientists of all career stages. The conference program includes a diverse range of speakers and discussion leaders from institutions and organizations worldwide, concentrating on the latest developments in the field. The conference is five days long and held in a remote location to increase the sense of camaraderie and create scientific communities, with lasting collaborations and friendships. In addition to premier talks, the conference has designated time for poster sessions from individuals of all career stages, and afternoon free time and communal meals allow for informal networking opportunities with leaders in the field.
The past fifty years has produced great advancements in a multiplicity of areas within ADME science, simultaneously. There is now unprecedented diversity in the approaches and tools available for ADME research and the discovery of new treatments for disease. The pace of discovery has increased immensely, and an epic expansion of new scientific knowledge is well underway. Synchronously, previously neglected research topics and novel therapeutic modalities are being pursued which are contributing to individualized treatments, patient-specific dosing optimization, improved use of current medications, and more efficient translation of early-discovery results to clinical application. In essence, ADME science is now part of a multiverse of scientific discovery consisting of grand diversity and progress. Rapid progress is often paradoxical: it offers unique opportunities but can also be disorienting, due to accelerated rates of change. Revisiting and embracing core characteristics can serve as a guiding force during periods of rapid progress. The theme for the 52nd GRC on Drug Metabolism is to celebrate and embrace the foundational character of ADME science. That is, ADME science is highly integrative, multidisciplinary and based on structural, mechanistic, kinetic, quantitative, and computational approaches to predict and translate molecular discoveries to effective clinical application. At the forefront will be the presentation and discussion of unpublished research that embraces these foundational characteristics and their application to new areas of discovery (e.g., protein degraders, sex differences in ADME), and especially challenging problems within ADME science (e.g., hidden metabolites, fraction unbound, distribution and transport). The Drug Metabolism GRC has a long history of sustaining the ADME science community by bringing together scientists from diverse career paths (industry, academia, and regulatory agencies) and career stages (early, mid, late) in a collegial and informal environment at Holderness, New Hampshire. This provides extensive opportunities for scientific discussion and fellowship in a bucolic and relaxed environment throughout the week, and makes this conference especially unique for creating opportunities to form lasting connections between attendees.
