The event will highlight some of the potential issues associated with current dosing practices and explore how to promote the adoption of more translationally relevant and ethically sound approaches.
There are widespread, systematic problems in how drug dosing is typically approached in preclinical blue-skies neuroscience. For example:
- Historical dosing practices involving high doses that lack translational relevance.
- Limited understanding and integration of pharmacokinetics (PK) in dose selection.
- Routes of administration which can impact both animal welfare and the interpretability of results.
- Current norms relying heavily on precedent rather than evidence.
These limitations compromise successful translatability of findings and raise ethical concerns.
Event Objectives:
- Raise awareness about the challenges of drug testing in preclinical neuroscience
- Encourage the neuroscience and pharmacology communities to challenge historical norms.
- Facilitate dialogue on next steps for the research community
Intended audience:
- Neuroscientists and pharmacologists working in preclinical research in academia and industry
- Whilst delegates of all career stages are welcome, content will be most suitable for those in postgraduate education or established research careers.
Intended Outcome for Delegates:
Participants will leave the event with:
- A mindset shift: from unquestioned replication of historical doses to intentional decision-making.
- A clear understanding of the challenges and limitations of common dosing practices.
- Motivation and knowledge to critically assess dose selection and route of administration in their own research.
- Awareness of how dose selection and route of administration impacts both animal welfare and translational success.