The Society of Non-Invasive Imaging in Drug Development (SNIDD) is an Institute of the Academy of Molecular Imaging. SNIDD is an all volunteer, educational organization which has the goal of increasing the appropriate use of non-invasive, imaging technology as tools in drug research and development.
We provide opportunities for scientists from the drug industry and from academic research centers to learn more about the potential of non-invasive imaging technology for providing valuable information that can increase the efficiency of new pharmaceutical research and development.
Our overall view is that non-invasive imaging techniques are powerful research tools for scientists involved in drug discovery, research and development. Over the past 10 years, the use of imaging in drug research has gradually increased. We hope, by the efforts of SNIDD and similar organizations, that this technology will become more widely used since it has the potential of increasing the efficiency of drug discovery and development programs by reducing both the overall time required and the cost of these programs.
We expect to particpate in conferences organized by AMI, and sponsor independent symposia on this subject, publish a biannual newsletter and continue to provide support for presentations at appropriate national and international meetings.
Non-invasive imaging techniques can be used to obtain information on in vivo biochemistry and physiology in experimental animals and man that cannot be obtained in any other way. As applied to drug discovery and development, information obtainable via imaging can be divided into four categories: 1) determination of desirable, pharmacological effects or undesirable side effects (i.e., the effect of the drug candidate on in vivo biochemistry and physiology); 2) the interaction of a drug or drug candidate with the desired target (e.g., receptor, enzyme or transport system), including dose occupancy relationships and kinetic information; 3) the delivery of a drug to a specific target; and 4) the absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination of the labeled drug candidate.
SPECT: Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography
PET: Positron Emission Tomography
MRI: Magnetic Resonance Imaging
CT: Computed Tomography
US: Ultrasound