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.