1
|
Weld ED, Waitt C, Barnes K, Garcia Bournissen F. Twice neglected? Neglected diseases in neglected populations. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2021; 88:367-373. [PMID: 34888909 DOI: 10.1111/bcp.15148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
It is unfortunately true that clinicians lack the necessary evidence to know how to use medications properly in large sections of the population and do not have optimal treatments to use for many neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). NTDs often disproportionately affect neglected populations that are left out of research efforts, such as children and pregnant women. As reliable access to safe, effective preventives and treatments can break the cycle of poverty, illness, and ensuing debility that further perpetuates poverty, it is of paramount importance to investigate and develop new medicines for neglected populations suffering from NTDs. Furthermore, there is not only a need to develop and evaluate novel therapies, but also to ensure that these are affordable, available, and adapted to the communities who need them. The NIH has proposed a "4 C's" framework which is relevant for neglected diseases and populations and should be leveraged for the study of the Twice Neglected: Consider inclusion; Collect data from neglected populations with neglected conditions; Characterize differences through meaningful analysis; Communicate findings pertaining to neglected diseases and populations. With this editorial, the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology hereby launches a call for high-quality articles focusing on NTDs in special populations, to facilitate and encourage the reversal of this dual neglect.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ethel D Weld
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Division of Clinical Pharmacology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Catriona Waitt
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.,Infectious Disease Institute, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda.,Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Liverpool, UK
| | - Karen Barnes
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, The University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Facundo Garcia Bournissen
- Division of Pediatric Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Wenning L, Pillai GC, Knepper TC, Ilic K, Ali AM, Hibma JE. Clinical Pharmacology Worldwide: A Global Health Perspective. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2021; 110:946-951. [PMID: 33893656 DOI: 10.1002/cpt.2274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have the highest rates of mortality and morbidity globally, but lag behind high-income countries in the number of clinical trials and trained researchers, as well as research data pertaining to their populations. Lack of local clinical pharmacology and pharmacometrics expertise, limited training opportunities, and lack of local genomic data may contribute to health inequalities and limit the application of precision medicine. Continuing to develop health care infrastructure, including well-designed clinical pharmacology training and data collection in LMICs, can help address these challenges. International collaboration aimed at improving training and infrastructure and encouraging locally driven research and clinical trials will be of benefit. This review describes several examples where clinical pharmacology expertise could be leveraged, including opportunities for pharmacogenomic expertise that could drive improved recommendations for clinical guidelines. Also described are clinical pharmacology and pharmacometrics training programs in Africa, and the personal experience of a Tanzanian researcher currently on a training sabbatical in the United States, as illustrative examples of how training in clinical pharmacology can be effectively implemented in LMICs. These training efforts will benefit from advocacy for employment opportunities and career development pathways for clinical pharmacologists that are gradually being recognized and developed in LMICs. Clinical pharmacologists have a key role to play in global health, and development of training and research infrastructure to advance this expertise in LMICs will be of tremendous benefit.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Goonaseelan Colin Pillai
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Pharmacometrics Africa, Cape Town, South Africa.,CP+ Associates GmbH, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Katarina Ilic
- Shire, a Takeda Company, Lexington, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ali Mohamed Ali
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Science, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Ippolito MM, Moser KA, Kabuya JBB, Cunningham C, Juliano JJ. Antimalarial Drug Resistance and Implications for the WHO Global Technical Strategy. CURR EPIDEMIOL REP 2021; 8:46-62. [PMID: 33747712 PMCID: PMC7955901 DOI: 10.1007/s40471-021-00266-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Five years have passed since the World Health Organization released its Global Technical Strategy for Malaria (GTS). In that time, progress against malaria has plateaued. This review focuses on the implications of antimalarial drug resistance for the GTS and how interim progress in parasite genomics and antimalarial pharmacology offer a bulwark against it. RECENT FINDINGS For the first time, drug resistance-conferring genes have been identified and validated before their global expansion in malaria parasite populations. More efficient methods for their detection and elaboration have been developed, although low-density infections and polyclonality remain a nuisance to be solved. Clinical trials of alternative regimens for multidrug-resistant malaria have delivered promising results. New agents continue down the development pipeline, while a nascent infrastructure in sub-Saharan Africa for conducting phase I trials and trials of transmission-blocking agents has come to fruition after years of preparation. SUMMARY These and other developments can help inform the GTS as the world looks ahead to the next two decades of its implementation. To remain ahead of the threat that drug resistance poses, wider application of genomic-based surveillance and optimization of existing and forthcoming antimalarial drugs are essential.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew M. Ippolito
- Divisions of Clinical Pharmacology and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
- The Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Kara A. Moser
- Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC USA
| | | | - Clark Cunningham
- School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC USA
| | - Jonathan J. Juliano
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, CB#7030, 130 Mason Farm Rd, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 USA
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Laar AK, Redman BK, Ferguson K, Caplan A. Institutional Approaches to Research Integrity in Ghana. SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING ETHICS 2020; 26:3037-3052. [PMID: 32779114 DOI: 10.1007/s11948-020-00257-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2020] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Research misconduct (RM) remains an important problem in health research despite decades of local, national, regional, and international efforts to eliminate it. The ultimate goal of every health research project, irrespective of setting, is to produce trustworthy findings to address local as well as global health issues. To be able to lead or participate meaningfully in international research collaborations, individual and institutional capacities for research integrity (RI) are paramount. Accordingly, this paper concerns itself not only with individuals' research skills but also with institutional and national policies and governance. Such policies and governance provide an ethical scaffold for the production of knowledge and structure incentives. This paper's operational definition of research therefore draws from Institute of Medicine's articulation of health research as an inquiry that aims to produce knowledge about the structure, processes, or effects of personal health services; and from an existing health systems framework. The paper reviews the research regulatory environment and the ethics apparatus in Ghana, and describes a project jointly undertaken by Ghanaian researchers in collaboration with New York University to assess the perceived adequacy of current institutional practices, opportunities, and incentives for promoting RI.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amos K Laar
- Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Box LG 13, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
| | - Barbara K Redman
- Division of Medical Ethics, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kyle Ferguson
- Division of Medical Ethics, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Arthur Caplan
- Division of Medical Ethics, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Safety, Tolerability, Pharmacokinetics, and Antimalarial Activity of the Novel Plasmodium Phosphatidylinositol 4-Kinase Inhibitor MMV390048 in Healthy Volunteers. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2020; 64:AAC.01896-19. [PMID: 31932368 PMCID: PMC7179259 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01896-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
MMV390048 is a novel antimalarial compound that inhibits Plasmodium phosphatidylinositol-4-kinase. The safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetic profile, and antimalarial activity of MMV390048 were determined in healthy volunteers in three separate studies. A first-in-human, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, single-ascending-dose study was performed. Additionally, a volunteer infection study investigated the antimalarial activity of MMV390048 using the Plasmodium falciparum induced blood-stage malaria (IBSM) model. MMV390048 is a novel antimalarial compound that inhibits Plasmodium phosphatidylinositol-4-kinase. The safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetic profile, and antimalarial activity of MMV390048 were determined in healthy volunteers in three separate studies. A first-in-human, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, single-ascending-dose study was performed. Additionally, a volunteer infection study investigated the antimalarial activity of MMV390048 using the Plasmodium falciparum induced blood-stage malaria (IBSM) model. Due to the high pharmacokinetic variability with the powder-in-bottle formulation used in both of these studies, a third study was undertaken to select a tablet formulation of MMV390048 to take forward into future studies. MMV390048 was generally well tolerated when administered as a single oral dose up to 120 mg, with rapid absorption and a long elimination half-life. Twelve adverse events were considered to be potentially related to MMV390048 in the first-in-human study but with no obvious correlation between these and MMV390048 dose or exposure. Although antimalarial activity was evident in the IBSM study, rapid recrudescence occurred in most subjects after treatment with 20 mg MMV390048, a dose expected to be subtherapeutic. Reformulation of MMV390048 into two tablet formulations (tartaric acid and Syloid) resulted in significantly reduced intersubject pharmacokinetic variability. Overall, the results of this study suggest that MMV390048 is well tolerated in humans, and the pharmacokinetic properties of the compound indicate that it has the potential to be used for antimalarial prophylaxis or inclusion in a single-dose cure. MMV390048 is currently being tested in a phase 2a study in Ethiopian adults with acute, uncomplicated falciparum or vivax malaria monoinfection. (The three clinical trials described here were each registered with ClinicalTrials.gov as follows: first-in-human study, registration no. NCT02230579; IBSM study, registration no. NCT02281344; and formulation optimization study, registration no. NCT02554799.)
Collapse
|
7
|
Radouani F, Zass L, Hamdi Y, Rocha JD, Sallam R, Abdelhak S, Ahmed S, Azzouzi M, Benamri I, Benkahla A, Bouhaouala-Zahar B, Chaouch M, Jmel H, Kefi R, Ksouri A, Kumuthini J, Masilela P, Masimirembwa C, Othman H, Panji S, Romdhane L, Samtal C, Sibira R, Ghedira K, Fadlelmola F, Kassim SK, Mulder N. A review of clinical pharmacogenetics Studies in African populations. Per Med 2020; 17:155-170. [PMID: 32125935 PMCID: PMC8093600 DOI: 10.2217/pme-2019-0110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Effective interventions and treatments for complex diseases have been implemented globally, however, coverage in Africa has been comparatively lower due to lack of capacity, clinical applicability and knowledge on the genetic contribution to disease and treatment. Currently, there is a scarcity of genetic data on African populations, which have enormous genetic diversity. Pharmacogenomics studies have the potential to revolutionise treatment of diseases, therefore, African populations are likely to benefit from these approaches to identify likely responders, reduce adverse side effects and optimise drug dosing. This review discusses clinical pharmacogenetics studies conducted in African populations, focusing on studies that examined drug response in complex diseases relevant to healthcare. Several pharmacogenetics associations have emerged from African studies, as have gaps in knowledge.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fouzia Radouani
- Research Department, Chlamydiae & Mycoplasmas Laboratory, Institut Pasteur du Maroc, Casablanca 20360, Morocco
| | - Lyndon Zass
- Computational Biology Division, Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, IDM, CIDRI Africa Wellcome Trust Centre, University of Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Yosr Hamdi
- Laboratory of Biomedical Genomics & Oncogenetics, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Université Tunis El Manar, 13, Place Pasteur BP 74, 1002 Tunis, Belvédère, Tunisie
| | - Jorge da Rocha
- Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of The Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Reem Sallam
- Medical Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Abbaseya, Cairo 11381, Egypt
| | - Sonia Abdelhak
- Laboratory of Biomedical Genomics & Oncogenetics, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Université Tunis El Manar, 13, Place Pasteur BP 74, 1002 Tunis, Belvédère, Tunisie
| | - Samah Ahmed
- Centre for Bioinformatics & Systems Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Khartoum, 321 Khartoum, Sudan.,Faculty of Clinical & Industrial Pharmacy, National University, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Maryame Azzouzi
- Research Department, Chlamydiae & Mycoplasmas Laboratory, Institut Pasteur du Maroc, Casablanca 20360, Morocco
| | - Ichrak Benamri
- Research Department, Chlamydiae & Mycoplasmas Laboratory, Institut Pasteur du Maroc, Casablanca 20360, Morocco.,Systems & Data Engineering Team, National School of Applied Sciences of Tangier, Morocco
| | - Alia Benkahla
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Biomathematics & Biostatistics LR 16 IPT 09, Institute Pasteur de Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Balkiss Bouhaouala-Zahar
- Laboratory of Venoms & Therapeutic Molecules, Pasteur Institute of Tunis, 13 Place Pasteur, BP74, Tunis Belvedere- University of Tunis El Manar, Tunisia
| | - Melek Chaouch
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Biomathematics & Biostatistics LR 16 IPT 09, Institute Pasteur de Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Haifa Jmel
- Laboratory of Biomedical Genomics & Oncogenetics, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Université Tunis El Manar, 13, Place Pasteur BP 74, 1002 Tunis, Belvédère, Tunisie
| | - Rym Kefi
- Laboratory of Biomedical Genomics & Oncogenetics, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Université Tunis El Manar, 13, Place Pasteur BP 74, 1002 Tunis, Belvédère, Tunisie
| | - Ayoub Ksouri
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Biomathematics & Biostatistics LR 16 IPT 09, Institute Pasteur de Tunis, Tunisia.,Laboratory of Venoms & Therapeutic Molecules, Pasteur Institute of Tunis, 13 Place Pasteur, BP74, Tunis Belvedere- University of Tunis El Manar, Tunisia
| | - Judit Kumuthini
- H3ABioNet, Bioinformatics Department, Centre for Proteomic & Genomic Research, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Phumlani Masilela
- Computational Biology Division, Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, IDM, CIDRI Africa Wellcome Trust Centre, University of Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Collen Masimirembwa
- Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of The Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,DMPK Department, African Institute of Biomedical Science & Technology, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Houcemeddine Othman
- Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of The Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Sumir Panji
- Computational Biology Division, Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, IDM, CIDRI Africa Wellcome Trust Centre, University of Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Lilia Romdhane
- Laboratory of Biomedical Genomics & Oncogenetics, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Université Tunis El Manar, 13, Place Pasteur BP 74, 1002 Tunis, Belvédère, Tunisie.,Département des Sciences de la Vie, Faculté des Sciences de Bizerte, Université Carthage, 7021 Jarzouna, BP 21, Tunisie
| | - Chaimae Samtal
- Biotechnology Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences Dhar El Mahraz, Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah University, Fez 30000, Morocco.,Department of Biology, University of Mohammed Premier, Oujda, Morocco.,Department of Biology Faculty of Sciences, University of Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, Fez, Morocco
| | - Rania Sibira
- Centre for Bioinformatics & Systems Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Khartoum, 321 Khartoum, Sudan.,Department of Neurosurgery, National Center For Neurological Sciences, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Kais Ghedira
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Biomathematics & Biostatistics LR 16 IPT 09, Institute Pasteur de Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Faisal Fadlelmola
- Centre for Bioinformatics & Systems Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Khartoum, 321 Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Samar Kamal Kassim
- Medical Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Abbaseya, Cairo 11381, Egypt
| | - Nicola Mulder
- Computational Biology Division, Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, IDM, CIDRI Africa Wellcome Trust Centre, University of Cape Town, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|