Examples of best practice in the study of Special Populations
The British Pharmacological Society has been at the forefront of driving a call for sex to be considered an experimental variable in research;39 now we move one step further and call for the generation of relevant evidence for the management of the most neglected diseases, occurring in the most neglected populations (i.e. “Twice-neglected” populations).
The NIH Policy on sex as an experimental variable includes an easy-to-remember four Cs framework that is as relevant for neglected diseases and populations: Consider : when designing studies, either take the neglected population and/or disease into account or explain why you haven’t; Collect : tabulate data from neglected populations that take into account differences from the general population; Characterize : analyze data in such a way that differences by population can be detected; Communicate : report and publish data about neglected diseases and neglected populations.40
Through the “Twice Neglected” series, the British Pharmacological Society will encourage the conduct and facilitate the dissemination of high-quality articles that will reduce the neglect of diseases of poverty in complex populations. Progress requires multi-disciplinary collaboration, knowledge-transfer and a visionary, ethics-rooted approach
In times past, some major drug discoveries occurred almost fortuitously (e.g., Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin) but solutions to NTDs, especially when impacting neglected vulnerable populations, will not be discovered without the deliberate, targeted focus of the research community, involving strong partnerships between community, industry, academia and clinicians, with multi-disciplinary collaboration between cutting-edge technologies and a vision which prioritises alleviation of human suffering. Clinical pharmacology is in its essence cross-disciplinary, and brings together many of the key skills and actors required to transform such a vision into a reality with disruptive, silo-colliding thinking and efforts. Neglect results from persistent inattention, and as a community of pharmacologists we hereby launch this call for papers to draw awareness to these conditions and special populations throughout the processes of drug discovery and evaluation, to facilitate knowledge transfer, to stimulate dialogue and interaction, and ultimately to be part of the solution to this global problem. May it be received as a clarion call to arms.