It is a great pleasure for me to invite you to the Webcast of the Society for Medicines Research (SMR) symposium Case Histories of Drug Discovery which was held on Thursday, December 2, 1999.

The Society provides high quality forums for discussion of drug research among all disciplines, and on this occasion we have decided to make one of our symposia available (free!) to the scientific community worldwide by featuring our program online. Visitors to the Webcast will be able to hear each speaker's voice synchronised with the complete set of slides, graphics and photographs. Viewers can access the presentations by going to the Webcast page and clicking on the audio icon.

For this symposium we have invited seven researchers from Centocor, Glaxo Wellcome, Lilly, Aventis and Searle to outline the research that led to the discovery of innovative drugs such as infliximab, zanamivir, olanzapine, alosetron, leflunomide and celecoxib. The presentations cover the full story from chemical synthesis and design, on to pharmacological activity and eventually clinical trials. Results from this research ushered in the registration and finally launch of new medicines to treat troublesome diseases such as influenza, rheumatoid arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome or schizophrenia.

We hold four symposia a year for all those engaged in drug research.

Forthcoming SMR Symposia include: