Certara, a provider of decision support technology and consulting services specialising in drug development and healthcare, has announced that it has established two Phoenix Centers of Excellence in Asia. The two new centres are located at the Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) Hospital in Beijing, China, and Keio University in Tokyo, Japan
Phoenix software is used for pharmacokinetic (PK), pharmacodynamic (PD), and toxicokinetic (TK) modelling and simulation.
‘As regulators and sponsors recognise the growing importance of model-based drug development (MBDD), Certara has committed to educating the next generation of experts in this field, on a global basis,’ said Certara chief executive officer Dr Edmundo Muniz. ‘We are achieving that goal by partnering with eminent scientists at designated academic centres of excellence around the world and providing them with access to our Phoenix software – which is the gold standard in PK/PD – for teaching and research.’
The Phoenix Centers of Excellence act as a hub for developing knowledge around the Phoenix software routinely publish their work so that other researchers can benefit from their progress. They also serve as an informal scientific advisory group.
At PUMC Hospital, Professor Pei Hu, MD, professor, and director of its Clinical Pharmacology Research Center will use Certara’s modelling and simulation technology for first-in-human, point-of-care, and late-phase clinical trials.
Founded by the Rockefeller Foundation in 1921, PUMC Hospital conducts clinical research into severe, rare and complicated diseases. It has 4,000 employees and is affiliated with both PUMC and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. For the past six years, PUMC Hospital has been named the Number 1 hospital in the List of the Best Chinese Hospitals published by FuDan University, the most famous ranking list in China.
For the collaboration in Japan, Certara selected to further develop their ongoing relationship with Keio University, the oldest institute of higher education in Japan. At Keio University, Yusuke Tanigawara, Professor of Clinical Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics at Keio University School of Medicine will run the centre.
Phoenix software is used by 6,000 researchers at 1,500 biopharmaceutical companies and 200 academic institutions in 60 countries. Phoenix is employed by many global regulatory agencies including the United States Food and Drug Administration, the Japanese Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency, and China Food and Drug Administration.
