As President of the Congress “Therapeutics 2003”, it is my pleasure to invite you to participate in the 1st International Congress of Therapeutics and the XVII Congress of the Latin-American Society of Pharmacology. The congress is co-sponsored by the Inter-American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, and the Portuguese, Spanish and Venezuelan Societies of Pharmacology. The Congress will be held in Caracas, Venezuela, from the 28th of October to the 1st of November of the year 2003.

The meeting will focus on new drug entities and major therapeutic breakthroughs. Symposia will be designed to combine basic and applied pharmacology and therapeutics. This meeting is geared toward practitioners interested in rational drug therapy, to those working in preclinical and clinical pharmacology, in pharmacokinetics, clinical research, drug development, drug safety reporting and toxicology, and to the pharmaceutical organizations. 

The Organizing Committee is actively working in planning the scientific program for the meeting. The program will cover a wide range of subjects from the basic pharmacology to the clinical therapeutics. The scientific program has been organized to comprise three courses, 15 main lectures, 15 symposia, 15 medical alert sessions, 4 plenary sessions on new therapies, and three guided-poster sessions.

A Commercial Exhibition will be important part of the meeting, where delegates will interact with national and international pharmaceutical organizations involved in drug development and marketing. Exhibits from National and International Universities featuring programs and curricular activities for the training of Pharmacy, Medicine, Pharmacology and Therapeutics are invited. 
 
On line pre-registration will be available by December 2001. A call for Abstracts and Invitation to Register will be circulated in January of 2003. The deadline for submission will be March 30, 2003. The proceedings will be published in a peer-reviewed Journal. Abstracts will be written in English and presentations may be in Spanish, Portuguese or English. Simultaneous translation may be provided from English to Spanish and from Spanish to English.
 
Caracas is the capital of Venezuela, located on the northern extreme of South America. The country is simply unique. Venezuela's capital sits about 3000 feet above sea level in a long valley that stretches from east to west. The pleasant climate, the magnificent view of the coast mountain ridge and the warm hospitality welcomes you to Caracas. The city and the hotel chosen for the event, provide all the facilities expected of an international congress. The meeting will be held at the Caracas Hilton, located in the cultural heart of the city, few yards away from the Opera-theater Teresa Carreño and the city Museums. For your convenience and of your accompanying guests we have reserved single and double rooms, at the Caracas Hilton, at excellent rates.  

The opening and closing ceremonies, the presidential opening lecture, the visit to the exhibits and the welcome and closing receptions will be complimentary to all registered delegates and accompanying guests. Tours to the Angel Falls, Los Roques Archipelago, Margarita island, and other pristine sites could be arranged upon demand through the Congress Secretariat.

Yours Sincerely,
Professor Luigi X. Cubeddu
Congress Chair.