DSRU launches Institute of Pharmacovigilance Sciences with free webinar
The DSRU Institute of Pharmacovigilance Sciences has been established to build on the DSRU’s methodological research in pharmacovigilance and pharmacoepidemiology. The launch of the Institute marks a major expansion in the DSRU’s expertise and track record in methodological and pharmacovigilance research, both to improve existing methods and propose new ones. The institute will study important medicine and vaccine safety issues. The work will be conducted both in-house and through collaborations.
The aims of the Institute are to:
- work internally and through collaborations, to conduct methodological research and reviews to improve existing methods and propose new ones
- work to extend the methods of Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) methodology, which promotes the use of the best available evidence in clinical and regulatory decision making, for use within pharmacovigilance
- undertake projects to study important pharmacovigilance issues such as long-term effects of medicines and vaccines, the safety of new and advanced products, and the contributions of novel methods (e.g. artificial intelligence) to pharmacovigilance
- develop and expand the use of a range of benefit/risk (B/R) evaluation methods in pharmacovigilance, particularly using formal and semi-formal B/R evaluation methods
- bring together experts in pharmacovigilance and pharmacoepidemiology to work jointly on projects that advance these disciplines. Examples of such activities include working groups and round table meetings
A small team of DSRU physicians, epidemiologists and biomedical scientists is dedicated to scientific work to achieve the aims of the Institute. The DSRU’s Global Pharmacovigilance Observatory and International Working Group (IWG) on Signal Detection and Management in Pharmacovigilance are included in the Institute.
Current and recent work of the Institute includes:
- Investigating the impact of product withdrawals, revocations, and suspensions on public health burden within the EU
- Formal (quantitative and semi-quantitative) benefit-risk evaluation
- ‘Living’ B/R evaluations for a range of products
- Applicability of Observed vs Expected and Time-to-Onset analyses in the context of COVID-19 vaccine safety
- Assessing the case fatality of thrombotic thrombocytopenia syndrome following COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca in the UK
- COVID-19 vaccine immunogenicity in immunocompromised patients: A systematic review
For further information about the Institute, click here.
A free webinar will be held on 22nd March 2022 to showcase some pharmacovigilance methodologies.