ASCEPT - Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists

What ASCEPT - Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists does

ASCEPT is a non-profit professional society founded in 1966-67 that serves clinical and experimental pharmacologists and toxicologists across Australia and New Zealand from its base in Ascot, Queensland. The society's core offerings include the ANZ Prescribing Skills Assessment (ANZ-PSA) — a standardised 2-hour pharmacology competency exam licensed in partnership with the British Pharmacological Society and now used by 13 medical schools covering roughly 60% of Australasian medical schools, with over 20,000 students assessed — alongside annual scientific meetings (including joint meetings with partner societies such as APSEP and Therapeutic Innovation Australia), 13 Special Interest Groups, a mentoring program, and a portfolio of awards recognising research and clinical contributions to the field. Governance is led by an elected academic-clinical president (currently Bridin Murnion in 2024) supported by a 9-employee operational team.

The society's revenue model is membership-fee and event-registration driven, with scientific meeting registrations priced in the NZD 275-450 per attendee range and ANZ-PSA institutional licensing providing a recurring institutional revenue layer. Cross-society partnerships with the British Pharmacological Society (BPS), BTS, JPS, AMH, and Bellberry extend the society's reach across pharmacology assessment, toxicology, and clinical trial governance. ASCEPT does not present as a technology business; its competitive position rests on institutional tenure, curriculum-embedded assessment governance, and convening power across the Australasian pharmacology and toxicology research community.

Name

ASCEPT - Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists

Legal name

Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists

Website

https://ascept.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ASCEPT is a non-profit professional society, founded 1966-67 and based in Ascot, Queensland, that serves clinical and experimental pharmacologists and toxicologists across Australia and New Zealand through scientific meetings, 13 Special Interest Groups, awards, mentoring, and the ANZ Prescribing Skills Assessment used by 13 medical schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees providing access to society benefits, events, conferences, and networking opportunities.
2. Conference and Event Registration: Revenue from scientific meetings and annual conferences with tiered pricing for members, students, and non-members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ASCEPT is a non-profit professional society that serves clinicians, researchers, and educators in clinical and experimental pharmacology and toxicology across Australia and New Zealand. It provides annual membership with access to thirteen Special Interest Groups, runs annual scientific meetings and joint congresses with partner societies, administers the ANZ Prescribing Skills Assessment (ANZ-PSA) for medical students, and offers awards and a mentoring program. The society also provides advice to government and industry stakeholders on the use and toxicity of medicines and chemicals.

Product overview

ASCEPT is a professional society, not a product company. It offers a portfolio of membership services including the ANZ-PSA Prescribing Skills Assessment (a standardized exam for medical students and doctors), access to 13 Special Interest Groups covering various pharmacology and toxicology domains, annual scientific meetings and joint congresses, awards and prizes recognizing excellence, and a mentoring program. The organization does not operate a unified software platform but provides these services to its membership base in Australia and New Zealand.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ANZ-PSA (Australia and New Zealand Prescribing Skills Assessment) A standardised 2-hour open-book prescribing competency exam for final year medical students and internationally trained doctors in Australia and New Zealand. Regional modification of the UK Prescribing Safety Assessment, covering prescription writing, prescription review, planning management, clinical data interpretation, therapeutic decision making, adverse drug reactions, dose calculations, drug monitoring, and patient communication, with access to the New Zealand Formulary or Australian Medicines Handbook.
• ASCEPT Special Interest Groups (SIGs) Thirteen discipline-specific Special Interest Groups covering Aotearoa New Zealand Forum, Cardiovascular, Clinical Pharmacology, Drug Discovery, Drug Disposition and Response, Education Forum, Innovation and Industry, Neuropharmacology, Pharmacoepidemiology, Pharmacogenomics, Respiratory and Inflammation, Student Forum, and Toxicology. Each SIG is chaired by a discipline expert and fosters community, expertise and collaboration across its focus area.
• ASCEPT Scientific Meetings and Joint Congresses Annual scientific meetings and joint congresses bringing together pharmacologists and toxicologists from Australia, New Zealand, and international partner societies for research presentations, workshops, and networking. Recent meetings include the 2024 ASCEPT-APFP-APSA Joint Congress in Melbourne and the 2025 ASCEPT-Hypertension Australia Joint Scientific Meeting in Adelaide, with the 2026 ASCEPT NZ ASM scheduled for September 2026 in Christchurch.
• ASCEPT Awards and Prizes ASCEPT Awards and Prizes recognise excellence in pharmacology and toxicology in Australasia, including the prestigious ASCEPT Lectureship and Michael Rand Medal. The honour board commemorates ASCEPT Fellows, past presidents, and awardees who have made significant contributions to the field.
• ASCEPT Mentoring Program A members-only mentorship program connecting early-career pharmacologists and toxicologists with experienced professionals for career guidance, professional development, and one-on-one mentoring relationships within the ASCEPT community.
• ASCEPT Membership Annual ASCEPT membership providing members with exclusive discounted rates to events and conferences, access to Special Interest Groups, awards eligibility, and networking opportunities with leading pharmacology and toxicology professionals across Australia and New Zealand.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 20,000 final year medical students assessed for prescribing competency through ANZ-PSA

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• BellberryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner/sponsor of ASCEPT events and activities.
• Australian Medicines Handbook (AMH)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner/sponsor, providing formulary access for ANZ-PSA assessments.
• Japanese Pharmacological Society (JPS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner society for joint scientific meetings and symposiums.
• British Pharmacological Society (BPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey international partner for joint meetings and co-development of ANZ-PSA assessment platform. BPS Assessment provides governance support for ANZ-PSA.
• British Toxicology Society (BTS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner society for joint scientific meetings and knowledge exchange.
• BPS AssessmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerANZ-PSA exam governance supported by ASCEPT in partnership with BPS Assessment. The assessment is developed through PSA Executive Board, PSA Assessment Committee, and PSA Stakeholder Advisory Group.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Society of Toxicology (SOT): Large US-headquartered toxicology society with global reach. Compares to ASCEPT's Toxicology SIG via awards, meetings, and continuing-education programming at a much larger scale.
• International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (IUPHAR): Global pharmacology umbrella organization; ASCEPT engages through IUPHAR-affiliated scientific meetings (e.g., WCP). Relevant for international alignment, though broader in scope than ASCEPT.

Direct peers

• American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET): US pharmacology society with comparable membership, scientific meetings, and educational programming. Aspirational peer for ASCEPT given scale and journal portfolio (e.g., Drug Discovery, Pharmacology).
• British Pharmacological Society: UK-based professional society for pharmacologists and a core ASCEPT partner; BPS Assessment provides governance for the ANZ-PSA. Closest comparable organization in mission, membership model, and exam portfolio.
• Australasian Pharmaceutical Science Association (APSA): Closest ANZ peer society covering pharmaceutical sciences; ASCEPT and APSA run joint scientific meetings and congresses. Comparable membership scale and event cadence.
• American College of Clinical Pharmacology (ACCP): US-based clinical pharmacology membership body with continuing education, journals, and policy advocacy. Direct peer to ASCEPT's Clinical Pharmacology SIG and educational mandate.
• British Toxicology Society: UK toxicology professional society and active ASCEPT partner for joint scientific meetings. Direct twin in toxicology-focused programming and member-driven education.

Regional players

• European Association for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (EACPT): European clinical pharmacology umbrella covering regional congresses, education, and policy. Comparable in mission to ASCEPT's clinical pharmacology arm though serving a different geography.
• Japanese Pharmacological Society: National pharmacology society and ASCEPT partner for joint symposia. Comparable regional society model serving a distinct geographic market with overlapping pharmacology mandate.
• Asia Pacific Federation of Pharmacologists (APFP): Asia-Pacific pharmacology umbrella organization; ASCEPT's President participated in the 2024 joint congress. Natural comparand for ASCEPT's regional pharmacology convening role beyond ANZ.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ASCEPTanz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ascept-anz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ASCEPT - Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists