The Asian Pharmacometric Network Workshop Series 2021

Pharmacy UGM – Pharmacometrics is an integrative science using models to interpret pharmacology in a quantitative fashion. It describes the drug-patient-disease relationships facilitating drug therapy optimization. Pharmacometrics also plays a strategic role in drug discovery and development by integrating several aspects, i.e., the pathophysiology, in vitro, nonclinical and clinical data, in a certain mathematical and statistical manner to find the right drug and the dosing regimen. The history of pharmacometrics dates back to the early 1970s and is tremendously supported by the population-based approach, allowing clinical data modeling, even in a sparse condition. Although pharmacometrics has drawn global attention, this branch of pharmaceutical sciences is quite new in Indonesia

To introduce pharmacometrics to the pharmaceutical scientist and practitioner in Indonesia, The Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) in collaboration with Asian Pharmacometrics Network (APN) held Asian Pharmacometric Network Workshop Series: “Basic Pharmacometrics Course using Monolix™”. The workshop took place on Thursday, June 3^rd 2021, from 9 am to 3 pm through the Zoom meeting platform and was hosted by Laboratory of Physical Pharmacy and Biopharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy UGM. This workshop was designed as a basic and introductory course in pharmacometrics focusing on familiarizing participant who are new to or wish to advance their knowledge in this research field. Monolix ™, one of the software available to analyze pharmacometrics approaches, were introduced in this workshop. The event was fully supported by Lixoft, Inc., a software company that developed Monolix™. The participant received a trial of Monolix Suite ™ for free.

Prof. Dr. Agung Endro Nugroho, the Dean of the UGM Faculty of Pharmacy UGM officially opened the workhop with his opening speech followed by a keynote speech by M.Surulivel Rajan M.Pharm, PhD, board of Asian Pharmacometrics Network. Dr Rajan discussed if pharmacometrics has arrived to deliver for all the stakeholders.

The workshop was divided into two part. In part A, Prof. Dr. apt. Akhmad Kharis Nugroho, M.Si from Faculty of Pharmacy UGM shared Data preparation and Basic Monolix operation. Prof Kharis is the PIC for this workshop as well as one of the board member of the Asian Pharmacometrics Network. The second part of the workshop brought by Dr. Géraldine Ayral from Lixoft Inc., France that discussed Monolix Suite for Efficient PK/PD Modelling. The workshop was successful which brought all participants from all around the globe including USA, Europe, Australia and South Africa to work together to increase increase understanding of using Monolix™. After submitting the assignment in e-farmasetika.ugm.id the participant received 7.5 Satuan Kredit Partisipasi (Continuous Professional Development credit) from Ikatan Apoteker Indonesia (Indonesian Pharmacists Association). Laboratory of Physical Pharmacy and Biopharmaceutics is looking forward to organize another Pharmacometrics workshop in the near future. (Marlyn/Humas)