Research and training network advances innovative approach to drug discovery and development
To deliver new drugs, it is necessary to quantify, translate and simulate from the test tube to the patient. This includes modelling biological pathways, quantifying relationships between dose/exposure, target engagement, efficacy and safety in preclinical tests and humans, and utilising all relevant information efficiently and quantitatively. The creation and application of novel modelling methods to tackle current problems in drug development are dependent on the training of researchers with skills to perform these tasks. With EU funding, the IMPACT (Innovative modelling for pharmacological advances through collaborative training) project met the need to train doctoral students with high-level skills in systems modelling in order to develop tomorrow’s drugs. IMPACT trained five early-stage researchers (ESRs) in the development of new tools and techniques to support QSP. ESRs were able to carry out five research projects at the forefront of international pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) analysis. The projects involved modelling dose-response time outcome relationships, structural identifiability and indistinguishability in systems pharmacology, modelling tissue (lung) target exposure, modelling cardiovascular safety-target engagement exposure, and deconvolution in non-linear ordinary differential equations for QSP. ESRs benefited from the previously established strong research and training links already formed between academia and the biopharmaceutical industry in PK and PD modelling. They participated in taught modules and course materials in subjects relevant to their research aims and attended summer schools, international conferences and presentations. In total, 111 publications, poster presentations and conference papers/oral presentations were produced. The project led to the establishment of the QSP-UK network. This aims to nurture and bring QSP to the United Kingdom’s research community. IMPACT was at the cutting edge of international research in PK/PD analysis, boosting the EU’s worldwide standing in this area and cementing its place as a leader in QSP.
Keywords
Quantitative and systems pharmacology, drug development, IMPACT, pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic