What we do and reasons to approach the DSRU for your next observational study
The DSRU is a service provider and independent research organisation that conducts observational studies for both large and small pharma companies. These companies appreciate that...
Looking forward to ICPE in Halifax!
The DSRU team will be attending the 39th International Conference on Pharmacoepidemiology & Therapeutic Risk Management (ICPE) in Halifax, Canada on 23-27th August. The wide...
Pan-European study of Covid vaccine safety published
The DSRU conducted the UK arm of this study which focused on the safety of all Covid-19 vaccines and was led by Lareb, the Netherlands...
DSRU attends DIA Europe conference
The DSRU team was delighted to attend the DIA Europe conference in Basel in March 2023 and to promote our capabilities as the UK’s leading...
How we’re leading UK pharmacovigilance
Here at the Drug Safety Research Unit, we are proud to be the UK's leading pharmacovigilance and pharmacoepidemiology unit. We have conducted hundreds of post-authorisation...
International group redoubles efforts to improve detection of drug side effects
The International Working Group (IWG) on New Developments in Pharmacovigilance has resumed its work in earnest, following an extended break due to the pandemic. Members...
30 September 2022
Just published: our paper on cases of thrombosis with concurrent thrombocytopenia following AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.
In March 2021, rare signals of unusual clotting with concurrent low platelets began to emerge in people who had received at least one dose of...
Good to be back at ICPE!
The DSRU had a great conference at ICPE (International Conference on Pharmacoepidemiology & Therapeutic Risk Management) in Copenhagen last week. The in-person annual conference of...
20 May 2022
Our biennial Signal Detection conference is back!
After an extended break due to the pandemic, we are delighted that our iconic 11th Biennial Conference on Signal Detection and Signal Management in Pharmacovigilance...
18 May 2022
Risk minimisation at the DSRU
“The right medicine, at the right dose, at the right time, to the right patient” (GVP, Module XVI) Risk minimisation measures are actions taken to...
9 May 2022
DSRU hosts ISoP Mid-Year Symposium
Beyond Spontaneous Reporting: integrating data from multiple sources to ensure medicines safety The Drug Safety Research Unit (DSRU) hosts an important international meeting for the...
22 March 2022
Institute of Pharmacovigilance Sciences launched to improve global drug safety research methods
The Drug Safety Research Unit has today launched a new global Institute of Pharmacovigilance Sciences. A team of DSRU physicians, epidemiologists and biomedical scientists will...
17 March 2022
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...
8 March 2022
DSRU expands research team and 80% are women, nearly double the UK average in science roles
Ahead of International Women’s Day on Tuesday 8 March, the UK’s independent Drug Safety Research Unit (DSRU) has announced it’s doubled the size of its...
3 March 2022
Myocarditis and pericarditis in immunocompromised patients following COVID-19 mRNA vaccination
Summary: Systematic review of spontaneous reports of myocarditis and pericarditis in transplant recipients and immunocompromised patients following COVID-19 mRNA vaccination Two years after the start...
3 December 2021
The DSRU and the Future of UK Pharmacoepidemiology & Pharmacovigilance
The DSRU has expanded enormously in the last few years. As the UK’s premier unit for pharmacoepidemiology and pharmacovigilance, we have a full understanding of the...
17 September 2021
Pericarditis and myocarditis following mRNA vaccination: our review
The UK’s independent Drug Safety Research Unit (DSRU) has concluded that heart inflammation after mRNA COVID-19 vaccines is very rare and mild in the vast...
25 August 2021
Podcast: how we have been monitoring the safety of Covid vaccines
Listen to Saad Shakir on the MedTalk Podcast: Understanding Covid-19 vaccines with the DSRU. The DSRU is monitoring the safety of most of the UK’s...
2 August 2021
Vaccination provides weaker COVID-19 protection for immunocompromised patients
The DSRU Global Pharmacovigilance Observatory recently completed a systematic review of multiple studies comparing the immune response to COVID-19 vaccines in immunocompromised patients with that...
16 July 2021
DSRU Observational Studies on the COVID19 vaccines
Recruitment of participants is almost complete for our post-authorisation study to monitor the safety of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. The study uses active surveillance methodology,...
6 April 2021
Pharmacovigilance Evidence Review: Rare blood clots with AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in women under 55
Rare blood clots with AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in women under 55 The DSRU has evaluated all publicly available data on blood clotting incidents after immunisation...
12 March 2021
Pharmacovigilance Evidence Review: Thrombosis following vaccination with COVID-19 AstraZeneca Vaccine
Professor Saad Shakir and Samantha Lane 12 March 2021 We agree with MHRA and EMA that people should continue to be vaccinated with the Oxford/AstraZeneca...
23 November 2020
Investigating Serious Adverse Events in COVID-19 Vaccine Trials
Despite the urgent need for a COVID-19 vaccine, it is of critical importance that the process of safety evaluation is not compromised in any way....
13 November 2020
Drugs repurposed for COVID-19 still need rigorous testing
Existing drugs repurposed to treat COVID-19 still need rigorous testing for safety and effectiveness and the DSRU is urging institutions across the globe to work...
6 November 2020
Rivaroxaban hospital PASS (ROSE study) papers published!
Two papers on the findings of our Rivaroxaban Observational Safety Evaluation (ROSE) study have just been published. ROSE is is a prime example of our...
22 October 2020
Paper published: Can post-marketing studies provide a safety net for COVID-19 vaccines in the UK?
Our new paper published in BMJ Evidence Based Medicine explains that, given the speed with which potential new COVID-19 vaccines are being developed, it is...
14 October 2020
DSRU comment on pausing of J&J COVID-19 vaccine trial
Director, Professor Saad Shakir, said: “Serious adverse events are expected in a clinical trial that includes 60,000 vaccinees. While the independent Data Safety Monitoring Board...
5 October 2020
Remdesivir for COVID-19 patients is ‘favourable’ says first systematic benefit-risk study
Remdesivir for COVID-19 patients is ‘favourable’ says first systematic benefit-risk study The first comprehensive evaluation of all possible benefits and risks of remdesivir The benefits...
18 September 2020
DSRU presents first ISoP journal club!
DSRU Senior Clinical Research Fellow, Dr Miranda Davies, and Director, Professor Saad Shakir, presented the first ever online journal club for the International Society of...
27 August 2020
Insufficient evidence for use of convalescent plasma in COVID-19 patients
Convalescent plasma (CP) treatment is one treatment option currently being investigated in COVID-19. Our review of evidence for a living systematic benefit-risk assessment of the...
11 August 2020
The One Million Study to monitor safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines
Our UK COVID-19 Vaccine Consortium has announced plans for the One Million Post-Authorisation Study to monitor the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine in...
29 June 2020
Lopinavir-Ritonavir in the Treatment of COVID-19: A Dynamic Systematic Benefit-Risk Assessment
Our dynamic systematic benefit-risk analysis of antiviral drug combination lopinavir-ritonavir for COVID-19 patients has just been published. Our research team found there was no clear...
22 June 2020
New consortium to monitor safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines
A new consortium to monitor the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines has been formed by the Drug Safety Research Unit and MEMO Research, University...
29 May 2020
First systematic benefit-risk assessment of Remdesivir published
Remdesivir for COVID-19 patients is ‘favourable’ says first systematic benefit-risk study We have just published the first ever systematic benefit-risk analysis of antiviral drug remdesivir...
27 May 2020
Hospital PASS studies: conducting real-world observational studies in secondary care
Our article in the Spring edition of Pharmafile explains our unique SCEM method for conducting PASS studies in hospitals and specialist care in the context...
14 May 2020
The need for active surveillance of the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines
(First published as a BMJ Rapid Response on 12th May 2020) A key component of efforts to control COVID-19 will be an effective vaccine. There...
30 April 2020
COVID-19: DSRU’s latest research and capabilities update
The DSRU team is heavily engaged in conducting studies related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dozens of clinical trials are underway around the world, many on...
28 April 2020
Business as usual at the DSRU
The DSRU team is used to working remotely while maintaining high standards and completing studies on time. We have the connectivity to enable us to...
30 March 2020
Article: The need for evolution in pharmacovigilance
Pharmafocus published an interview with our Director, Saad Shakir, in its March issue, focusing on the need for pharmacovigilance to evolve in order to handle...
26 February 2020
Systematic Benefit-Risk Assessment published
Benefit-risk assessment is used to weigh up the benefits of a specific treatment with the risks of that treatment. The DSRU team has just published...
26 February 2020
Developing Gravitas: A masterclass in maximising your leadership potential
Improving your presence and impact in your organisation We are delighted to be working in collaboration with The Gravitas Programme to bring you a new...
7 February 2020
Milestone 20 years for DSRU pharmacovigilance training
DSRU Education & Training is celebrating two decades of training health and pharmaceutical professionals, many of whom have gone on to senior UK pharmacovigilance roles....
20 January 2020
New course for 2020 – Vigilance of Medical Devices
Addressing the uncertainty around implementation of the Medical Devices Regulation (MDR) The new European regulations on medical devices entered into force in 2017 and must...
3 January 2020
Improvements needed in recording brand and batch numbers for biological medicines to ensure patient safety
Health professionals need to improve how they record brand and batch numbers for biologic medicines to ensure patients stay safe, according to a new study...
5 November 2019
GPs urged to help improve patient safety
The DSRU had coverage in the BMJ last week following the issue of the press release below. The article is available to BMJ subscribers here....
25 October 2019
DSRU team at RCGP Annual Conference!
The DSRU team is delighted to be at the Annual Conference of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) in Liverpool. Our medics are on...
14 October 2019
Improving detection of adverse drug reactions
DSRU Director, Professor Saad Shakir, attended a three day meeting in Erice in Sicily on “Improving the Detection Analysis and Reporting Harms in Medicines”. The...
8 October 2019
Expanding the reach of Pharmacovigilance education with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
The DSRU is delighted to be collaborating with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society to deliver two new training days. The courses are designed to introduce the...
24 September 2019
DSRU Consultancy: World class science at a not for profit price!
DSRU Consultancy has a small flexible team of epidemiologists, clinicians and pharmacists. Watch this short video to find out how DSRU Consultancy provides advice in pharmacoepidemiology, pharmacovigilance, risk minimisation and...
13 September 2019
Success of Big Data for Pharmacovigilance Conference!
The DSRU’s Second Conference on Big Data for Pharmacovigilance has been a great success. Delegates from regulatory bodies, the pharmaceutical industry and academia have heard...
27 August 2019
The DSRU is at ICPE in Philadelphia!
The DSRU team is attending the International Conference on Pharmacoepidemiology and Therapeutic Risk Management (ICPE) in Philadelphia. Come and meet our team at booth 204,...
2 August 2019
Big Data for Pharmacovigilance: looking forward to our 2nd conference!
Our second conference on Big Data for Pharmacovigilance takes place in September in London. We have an impressive line-up of speakers who will examine the...
26 July 2019
The importance of recording brand and batch numbers of prescribed biologic medicines
In 2017-18, the NHS saved over £200 million by using more biosimilar medicines1. In 2018, NHS England announced plans to increase the uptake of biosimilars...
23 July 2019
Congratulations to our 2019 Graduates!
Congratulations to our students who graduated from Masters in Pharmacovigilance earlier this month. Students graduating either completed their Postgraduate Certificate, Diploma or Masters in Pharmacovigilance,...
8 July 2019
IWG on Signal Detection & Management holds launch call
The launch teleconference for the International Working Group (IWG) on Signal Detection and Management in Pharmacovigilance took place last week. The key points raised included:...
28 June 2019
IWG on Signal Detection & Management gets underway!
The International Working Group (IWG) on Signal Detection and Management in Pharmacovigilance is taking shape. The IWG now includes members from nearly 20 pharmaceutical companies,...
11 June 2019
10th Conference on Signal Detection & Management is underway!
10th Conference on Signal Detection & Management is underway! Our 10th Biennial Conference on Signal Detection and Management is now underway. Today we have a...
14 March 2019
Mental Health Awareness Week: Spotlight on ECHO
In this week’s PharmaTimes article, Professor Allan Young (Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London) explains why the unique service offered by ECHO (European Consortium for...
8 May 2019
How does DSRU Consultancy work?
The DSRU Consultancy has a small flexible team of epidemiologists, clinicians and pharmacists. Watch this short video to find out how DSRU Consultancy provides advice...
29 April 2019
DSRU: Experts at Post-authorisation Safety Studies (PASS)
Here at the DSRU, we are experts at conducting Post-authorisation Safety Studies (PASS) on medicines prescribed in primary, secondary and specialist care. If your company...
5 April 2019
Meet the DSRU team at ISPE Mid Year in Rome!
A small team from the DSRU will be at the International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology (ISPE) Mid Year conference in Rome. Come and find us in...
26 March 2019
What our research on UK drug withdrawals can tell the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review
By Dr Elizabeth Lynn, Head of Scientific Development and Education at the Drug Safety Research Unit. Monitoring adverse side effects is our core focus at...
26 March 2019
Launch of the International Working Group on Signal Detection and Management in Pharmacovigilance
This week we launch the International Working Group (IWG) on Signal Detection and Management in Pharmacovigilance. Experts from over 20 organisations in the pharma industry...
11 March 2019
DSRU: Experts in hospital PASS Studies
The DSRU is highly unusual in its capability to conduct PASS studies in hospitals or specialist care. These studies follow our Specialist Cohort Event Monitoring (SCEM)...
28 February 2019
European Network Studies
Conducting post-authorisation studies in more than one country has several advantages: Local investigators will have a good understanding of the healthcare system in their country....