Important announcement made on 12.01.12:

Due to the high numbers of delegates registering for this conference and the increased demand for table-top exhibition space, we are delighted to announce a change of venue for this event to the Hotel Eurostars Grand Central 4*. Please click on the venue link at the bottom of this page for further information or email sgarrington@ismithers.com.

The panel of speakers will include:

Ronald C Biever, Smithers Viscient, USA

Ass Prof Sepideh Arbabi Bidgoli, Islamic Azad University, Tehran - Iran

Prof Cathrin Brisken, National Center of Competence for Molecular Oncology, Switzerland

Giles Chappell, McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP, Belgium

Dr Nathalie Delrue, OECD, Environment Directorate, France

Prof Béatrice Desvergne, University of Lausanne, Switzerland

Dr James Deyo, Eastman Chemical Company, USA

Dr Evanthia Diamanti-Kandarakis, Medical School University of Athens, Greece

Dr Tamara Galloway, University of Exeter, UK

Dr Ariane Giacobino, Department of Genetic Medicine, Geneva University, Switzerland

François Brion, National Institute of Industrial Environment and Risks (INERIS), France

Prof David Melzer, University of Exeter, UK

Diana Míguez, Technological Laboratory of Uruguay, Uruguay

Dr Stéphanie Nadzialek, Albemarle Europe, SPRL, Belgium

Mike Neale, LKC Switzerland Ltd, Switzerland

Dr Ariane Paoloni-Giacobino, Swiss Center for Applied Human Toxicology, Switzerland

Dr Daniela Schuster, Universität Innsbruck, Austria

Dr Colleen Toole, CeeTox, USA

Josefina Vargas, FABER Foundation, Lausanne, Switzerland

We are delighted to announce that we have conducted a number of special interviews with some of the speakers, to gain their insights into the debate on the safety evaluation of chemicals for human health and the environment. Please click on the links below to download these exclusive interviews:

In response to the concern that certain environmental chemicals could be interfering with the endocrine system of humans and wildlife, regulations have been promulgated by various regulatory bodies around the world to target the evaluation of these types of effects with the final goal to prevent adverse effects on human health and the environment.

According to Annex XV of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization

and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH)) in Europe, an Annex XV dossier has to be prepared for compounds that are carcinogenic, mutagenic, reproductively toxic, respiratory sensitizers, persistent / bioaccumulative /toxic (PBT) or of equivalent concern. While equivalent concern is somewhat unspecified, chemicals that could interact with the endocrine system would fall into that category. In the United States, the US Congress enacted in 1996 Section 408(p) of the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) which directed the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop and implement a screening programme using “validated test systems” to investigate the potential of chemicals to induce adverse health effects through endocrine pathways. This endocrine disruptor screening program (EDSP) is now underway and the manufacturers of 67 pesticides and chemicals have to date received test orders for the completion of tier 1 screening tests to be done according to the EPA’s 890 test guidelines.

Since an Annex XV dossier or a positive finding from the EDSP will have far reaching consequences including use restrictions up to a total ban, the assessment of endocrine activity needs to be based on solid science starting from reliable, robust, validated and internationally harmonised screening tests up to and including an agreed upon assessment of the available data considering a weight of evidence approach.

Following on from the highly successful inaugural 2011 conference which took place in Switzerland, Endocrine Disruptors 2012 is a two-day conference organised by iSmithers, and sister companies Springborn Smithers and Smithers Viscient, aimed at addressing key topics related to the evaluation of adverse effects on the endocrine system and corresponding regulatory requirements. This event will bring together experts from academia, government, and industry from around the globe to focus on current and future trends in testing, interpretation and evaluation of test results and how this relates to or influences regulatory activities.

Endocrine Disruptors 2012 is a two-day conference organised by iSmithers and Smithers Viscient, aimed at addressing key topics related to the evaluation of adverse effects on the endocrine system and corresponding regulatory requirements. This event will bring together experts from academia, government, and industry from around the globe to focus on current and future trends in testing, interpretation and evaluation of test results and how this relates to or influences regulatory activities.

Companies exhibiting at the table-top exhibition include Smithers Viscient and Thermo Scientific.

For further information about the conference please contact Helen Charlesworth, email: hcharlesworth@ismithers.net or tel: +44 (0)1939 250383.

A limited number of table-tops are available and will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. For further information about marketing and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Bill Allen, email: bill.allen@rapra.net or tel: +44 (0)1372 802086.