Life has an uncanny way of leading us to paths we never knew we were meant to walk. My story, especially in the field of pharmacometrics, is one of such fortuitous discoveries—a blessing in disguise. It all began during my early days as a lecturer at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria. The transition into academia was already overwhelming, leaving me little time or energy to inquire about the activities happening around me. One day, I noticed a group of individuals gathered for a workshop in one of the seminar rooms. It didn’t pique my curiosity at the time—until a chance encounter shifted everything. A participant from the workshop, who was a Clinical Pharmacy lecturer from another institution, came to say a friendly “hello” to my department. It was from him that I first heard the term “pharmacometrics.” Little did I know that this chance meeting would become a defining moment in my career.
The workshop, as I later found out, was the 2019 ‘Workshop on Introduction to pop PK using Monolix’ 2019 organized by Pharmacometrics Africa in collaboration with the Translational Pharmacokinetics Research Group (TPRG) at my institution. Although I hadn’t officially registered for the event, this newfound colleague was determined to introduce me to the world of pharmacometrics. His enthusiasm was infectious, and by the final day, I found myself attending the general meeting. That was the beginning. Fast forward to 2020, I was more settled in my new academic role and eager to pursue a PhD. My curiosity about pharmacometrics had not waned, so I reached out to Dr. Adeniyi Olagunju of TPRG for guidance. His support was invaluable—he introduced me to numerous training opportunities, including the self-paced online course in Clinical Pharmacology organized by Pharmacometrics Africa.
Though I was still working through the self-paced course, I stumbled upon an advert for a 12-week online course on Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacometrics, hosted by CREATES at Strathmore University in Nairobi, Kenya. I jumped at the chance and successfully completed the course in 2021. While many aspects of pharmacometrics still felt like “Greek” to me, the quantitative nature of the field had me hooked. Equations, codings and plots, those were my welcome party meals. Driven by a thirst for more, I soon applied for the Applied Pharmacometrics (APT) Training fellowship — a six-month intensive programme. I had no idea how transformative it would be.
Meanwhile, my academic journey was not without setbacks. Due to internal policies at my institution, I couldn’t proceed directly to a PhD, despite earning a qualifying grade from my M.Sc. at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. I had to enrol in an M.Phil. programme in Pharmacology. At the time, it felt like a setback, but in hindsight, it was a blessing in disguise. During this period, I met Dr. Babatunde Adeagbo, who became my co-supervisor and encouraged me to embark on a pharmacometrics project. That was when the real work began. While I had been introduced to the Berkeley Madonna software during my 12-week course, undertaking a population pharmacokinetics project was a different challenge altogether. Dr. Adeagbo introduced me to the Monolix software, and with plenty of self-study and guidance from him and Dr. Ayorinde Adehin, I successfully completed my first population pharmacokinetic project on amodiaquine.
I should mention here that I had started my M.Phil. project at the time that the APT fellowship commenced. As classes progressed in the APT programme, it was like connecting the dots in reverse—every step I had taken and the ones that I was taking at the time with my M.Phil. model development began to make sense. From understanding the theoretical basis of pharmacometrics to applying it in a real-world project, the journey felt like a beautifully woven tapestry. My APT team project, ‘Pharmacometric Analysis to describe the Pharmacokinetics and Exposure-Efficacy Response of Ivermectin in Adolescents infected with Trichuris Trichiura’, resulted in a poster presentation at the PAGE 2024 conference. As I write, the manuscript is under review for publication.
But this is only the beginning. My current PhD project focuses on optimizing the therapeutic management of sickle cell disease in Nigeria by exploring the intersection of pharmacogenetics and pharmacometrics. Approximately 85% of incidences of SCD globally occur in sub-Saharan Africa, with Nigeria bearing the highest burden. Knowing that most paediatric patients rarely survive beyond the age of five if not properly managed, and having lost acquaintances to the disease, I am hopeful that my project will be a breath of fresh air to the therapeutic management of SCD in Nigeria and Africa at large.
Pharmacometrics has become more than just a career path—it’s a calling. And I’m here for the long haul, eager for the possibilities that lie ahead. My deepest gratitude goes to everyone who has supported me on this journey (as I have mentioned at different points in this article). I especially wish to thank Prof. Colin Pillai and Dr. Samer Mouksassi, two among a large number of experts and friendly faculty who teach in the APT programme Their dedication to training African pharmacometricians has made all the difference. I am, without a doubt, a product of their hard work and vision.
As we strengthen the efforts of Pharmacometrics Africa in Nigeria, we invite pharmacometricians, partners, and sponsors to collaborate with us in advancing the field of pharmacometrics in the country.
Ochuko Orherhe
Pharmacometrics Africa – Nigeria Chapter
PhD Scholar, Translational Pharmacokinetics Research Group (OAU, Nigeria)