Genetic and Phenotypic Variability in Drug Metabolism in African Populations

Mathew Njoroge of the University of Cape Town in South Africa, with Roslyn Thelingwani of the African Institute of Biomedical Science and Technology in Zimbabwe, will analyze liver tissue from an African patient biobank to characterize the variability in drug metabolism in African populations. The analysis will combine genotyping, in vitro physiology studies, and pharmacokinetic modeling. Using the biobank samples, they will perform targeted sequencing of genes known to be associated with drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion, and then use the genotyped samples for in vitro analysis of drug clearance. This data will be combined with data modeling to predict the variability of drug pharmacokinetics in vivo to guide drug development and inform the design, monitoring, and interpretation of clinical trials.