News

Nigerian Chapter of Pharmacometrics Africa Officially Launched

1 October 2024

We are thrilled to announce the launch of the Nigeria Chapter of Pharmacometrics Africa! Together with our colleagues across the continent, we are dedicated to advancing the field of pharmacometrics by building capacity, fostering collaboration, and engaging stakeholders at all levels. Who We AreWe are a group of scientists in Nigeria, who belong to the Pharmacometrics Africa Network, dedicated to advancing patient care through clinical pharmacology and pharmacometrics. Our mission is to optimize drug therapy and improve patient outcomes by leveraging modelling and simulation tools to understand drug behaviour and patient response by providing data-driven insights to guide treatment outcomes . What We Do Our chapter focuses on: Join Us!We call on pharmacometricians, partners, and sponsors to join forces with us as we move the frontier of clinical pharmacology and pharmacometrics in Nigeria and Africa.

[Review Article] Cross-disciplinary mathematical modelling to benefit healthcare – could clinical pharmacology play an enabling role?

30 September 2024

In December 2023, Stellenbosch University, Fundisa African Academy of Medicines Development and Pharmacometrics Africa convened a virtual cross-disciplinary symposium to discuss concepts of mathematical modelling applied in various interrelated scientific fields, including the science of pharmacometrics. Experts from different fields were invited to share their insights for a deeper understanding of the application, experiences, challenges and foresight of mathematical modelling in their fields. The goal was to provide an opportunity to highlight the current interlinks amongst the disciplines and possible avenues/collaborations for future research and applications. To highlight and share what we learned, a review article was just published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology – you can read a copy at this link. Abstract: Clinical pharmacology is often the nexus in any cross-disciplinary team that is seeking solutions for human healthcare issues. The use and application of real-world data and artificial intelligence to better understand our ecosystem has influenced our view at the world and how we do things. This has resulted in remarkable advancements in the healthcare space and development of personalized medicines with great attributes from the application of models and simulations, contributing to a more efficient healthcare development process. A cross-disciplinary symposium was held in December 2023, whereby experts from different scientific disciplines engaged in a high-level discussion on the opportunities and challenges of mathematical models in different fields, possible future developments and decision making. A strong interlink amongst the disciplines represented was apparent, with clinical pharmacology identified as the one which integrates various scientific

[Perspective Paper] Addressing health equity for breastfeeding women: primaquine for Plasmodium vivax radical cure

27 September 2024

Read the paper here This article summarizes the clinical and modelling evidence for a favourable benefit:risk evaluation of P. vivax radical cure with primaquine for breastfeeding women without the need for infant G6PD testing, supporting a change in policy. This adjustment to current treatment guidelines would support health equity in regard to effective interventions to protect women and their children, enhance malaria control strategies, and advance P. vivax elimination. Abstract Plasmodium vivax malaria remains a global health challenge, with approximately 6.9 million estimated cases in 2022. The parasite has a dormant liver stage, the hypnozoite, which reactivates to cause repeated relapses over weeks, months, or years. These relapses erode patient health, contribute to the burden of malaria, and promote transmission. Radical cure to prevent relapses requires administration of an 8-aminoquinoline, either primaquine or tafenoquine. However, malaria treatment guidelines updated by the World Health Organization (WHO) in October 2023 restrict primaquine use for women breastfeeding children < 6 months of age, or women breastfeeding older children if their child is G6PD deficient or if the child’s G6PD status is unknown. Primaquine restrictions assume that 8-aminoquinoline exposures in breast milk would be sufficient to cause haemolysis in the nursing infant should they be G6PD deficient. WHO recommendations for tafenoquine are awaited. Notably, the WHO recommends that infants are breastfed for the first 2 years of life, and exclusively until 6 months old. Repeated pregnancies, followed by extended breastfeeding leaves women in P. vivax endemic regions potentially vulnerable to relapses for many years. This puts women’s health at risk, increases the malaria burden,

Reflections on the APT Program: My Journey

23 September 2024

The Applied Pharmacometrics Africa Training (APT) fellowship was a turning point in my career, providing a foundation that has shaped my trajectory as a researcher in the field of pharmacometrics. It was a transformative experience. As one of the first cohort of the APT fellows, I had the opportunity to dive into real-world applications of pharmacometrics, working alongside Dr Veshni Pillay-Fuentes Lorente of Stellenbosch University, South Africa to explore the differing cure rates of Trichuriasis using albendazole-ivermectin co-medication in Tanzania and Côte d’Ivoire. Our work was eventually published in Drugs in R&D by SpringerNature (https://rdcu.be/dOC3l). The training I received during the APT fellowship was instrumental in preparing me for the prestigious Africa Research Excellence Fund (AREF)-Genentech/Roche Research Development Fellowship. The APT fellowship has not only equipped me with new knowledge but has also positioned me to mentor upcoming researchers in pharmacometrics. This journey has been pivotal in reinforcing my commitment to strengthening pharmacometrics research capacity in Africa. In addition to my research, the APT fellowship inspired me to propose a pharmacometrics course for the fifth year pharmacy students at my institution. I believe that by integrating pharmacometrics early into the curriculum, we can foster a new generation of scientists capable of contributing to global healthcare. While we await the approval of the course, I remain hopeful that this initiative will help bridge the gap in pharmacometrics training in Africa, and further building the continent’s capacity for high impact research in clinical pharmacology and pharmacometrics. The fellowship left me with a long

My Journey into the World of Pharmacometrics – A Blessing in Disguise

23 September 2024

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

Capacity Building through VirTUAL

2 September 2024

Capacity building can be defined as the process of building sustainable abilities and skills enabling individuals and organisations enabling individuals and organisations to perform high quality research. The EDCTP-funded VirTUAL Consortium included 3 PhD students and 4 Masters scholars, all of whom have used their opportunities to advance their careers in these disciplines. This blog celebrates their achievements.

A Pharmacometrics Journey by Aida Kawuma

2 September 2024

Dr Aida Kawuma describes her journey from masters scholar through to postdoctoral pharmacokinetic modeller, giving tribute to the mentorship she received from Prof Jackson Mukonzo and others.

Congratulations to our colleagues for successful completion of the Applied Pharmacometrics training Fellowship

22 August 2024

Mohammed Ali and Cassius Phogole, two PhD students from Stellenbosch University successfully completed the 2024 Applied Pharmacometrics Training Fellowship Program. They report that it was an enriching experience and provided them with a comprehensive understanding of pharmacometrics, introduced them to new software tools and enabled deep insights into conducting regulatory level analysis as they had the invaluable opportunity to work with industry data. The collaborative environment fostered valuable learning from both instructors and peers. The program was meticulously organized, featuring state-of-the-art learning materials and tools, alongside highly experienced faculty members and distinguished guest speakers. Overall, it was an intense yet highly rewarding program that significantly advanced their skills in pharmacometrics.

Enhancing clinical pharmacology and pharmacometrics skills through the SNIP-Africa project

22 August 2024

The SNIP-AFRICA project is coordinated by Fondazione Penta ETS (Italy) and St George’s, University of London (United Kingdom). SNIP-Africa initiatives consist of: creating adaptable research infrastructure, conducting adaptive clinical trials to identify best antibiotic regimens and doses to treat difficult neonatal infections, stakeholder engagement for successful implementation of adaptive trials, and capacity building and training of African researchers and clinicians whilst fostering a culture of knowledge sharing and collaboration. A basic pharmacokinetics workshop held at Stellenbosch University in January 2024 was the first SNIP-Africa initiative to build capacity and train clinicians in basic pharmacokinetics. Upcoming events includes a Basic modelling course using Nlmixr2 and Fundamentals of clinical pharmacokinetics and model informed dosing prediction.

Deadline Extended! Travel Grants available for LMICs [ASCPT 2025]

17 August 2024

The ASCPT Low-to-Middle-Income Country (LMIC) Travel Grant Program is intended to foster the participation of LMIC clinical pharmacologists and translational scientists at the ASCPT Annual Meeting. ASCPT will award 1-2 grants annually. Each grant will be awarded in the amount of $7,500 to cover travel associated costs to attend the Annual Meeting. ASCPT will issue one award for the 2025 Annual Meeting. The LMIC Travel Grant Program reflects ASCPT’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and supports the Society’s mission and vision to advance clinical pharmacology for the benefit of patients and society on a global level.. Get more information on the LMIC travel grant > Application DeadlineAll completed applications must be received by September 27, 2024. Requirements, application criteria, and additional considerations for the LMIC Travel Grant are available on the ASCPT website.

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