Centre for Tropical Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics

Research at the Centre for Tropical Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics

The Centre for Tropical Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (CTCPT) carries out studies on drugs used for treatment of tropical diseases, especially malaria, and onchocerchiasis, but also sickle cell disease, as well as HIV/AIDS.

The Centre conducts studies in the areas of clinical trials, pharmacogenetics, pharmacovigilance, pharmacoepidemiology, pharmacokinetics and clinical ethics. The Centre is also involved in research on interventions to improve rational use of drugs, drug safety, as well as risk communication. In July 2012, the CTCPT in collaboration with the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (IUPHAR) hosted the 5th All African Conference on Pharmacology in Accra, Ghana. The conference was well attended and laid the foundation for a strong African participation in the next World Congress of Pharmacology scheduled for July 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa.

 

Ongoing projects at the Centre - 2012-2013

1.   Title:Better Medicines for children project

     Objective: to assess current practices of administration of children’s medicines by healthcare workers and parents/caretakers of children in Ghana.

     Project period: 2011-2013

     Role: Principal Investigator (Prof D. Ofori-Adjei)

     Funding: World Health Organisation (Bill and Belinda Gates Foundation)

 

2.  Title:African Journals Partnership

     Objective: to strengthen the African health and medical journals so that they can be accepted into MEDLINE, resulting in African health and medical research being available to the world.

     Project period: 2013- (ongoing)

     Role: Co-Director (Prof. D. Ofori-Adjei)

     Funding: National Institutes of Health (NIH)

 

3.  Title:MEPI pilot grant (KNUST-UM emergency medicine collaboration)

     Objective: to build capacity in emergency medicine in Ghana

     Role: Advisory Board Member (Prof. D. Ofori-Adjei)

 

4.  Title:Post-doctoral Fellowship programme 

     Objective: to train young African scientists in research related to global health related disease control and prevention in Africa.

     Project period: 2012-ongoing  

     Role: Advisory board member (Prof. D. Ofori-Adjei)

 

5.  Title:Monitoring and evaluation of Pfizer malaria intervention study involving licensed chemical sellers and access to ACT’s

     Objective: to evaluate a community-based intervention on the care of children under 5 years presenting with a fever at home and by Licensed chemical sellers.

     Project period: 2007-2012

     Role: Team leader (Prof. D. Ofori-Adjei)

     Funding: Pfizer philantrophy

 

6.  Title: Putative protective effects of sulphamethoxazole-trimethoprim on malaria incidence in HIV-infected children

     Objective: to elucidate mechanisms underlying the putative protective effects and potential toxicity of cotrimoxazole prophylaxis in HIV-infected children

     Project period: 2012-2013

     Role: Principal Investigator (Dr G. O. Adjei)

     Funding: University of Ghana-Brown University Academic Partnership for HIV/AIDS

 

7.  Title: Establishment of a high performance liquid chromatographic method for measurement of plasma levels of selected antimalarial drugs in Ghanaian children with HIV or sickle cell disease

     Objective: to develop novel analytical methods to measure the levels of selected antimalarial drugs in plasma of children with HIV infection or sickle cell diseases with acute malaria

     Project period: 2011-2013

     Role:Principal Investigator (Dr. G.O. Adjei)

     Funding: Office of Research, Innovation and Development (ORID), University of Ghana

 

8.  Title: Improving correct diagnosis and treatment of malaria in ruralGhana

     Objective: to evaluate operational and implementation factors important in the correct diagnosis and treatment of childhood malaria in rural areas in Ghana

     Project period: 2011-2012 

     Role: Co-Principal Investigator (Dr. G.O. Adjei)

     Funding: Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI)

 

9.  Title:Safety, efficacy and pharmacokinetics of antimalarial therapy in children with HIV or sickle cell disease

     Objective: a clinical trial aimed at evaluating the safety and efficacy of artemisinin combination therapies specifically in children with HIV infection or sickle cell disease co-infected with acute malaria, and to describe the pharmacokinetics of these regimens in this sub-group of patients. The study aims at generating evidence on the possible need for dose adjustment of these drugs when used concomitantly with other drugs routinely used to manage the underlying condition.

     Project period: 2009-2012.

     Role:Principal Investigator (Dr. G. O. Adjei)

     Funding: Consultative Research Council for Development (FFU) Danish International Development Assistance (DANIDA)

 

10.Title:In vitro susceptibility of Ghanaian Plasmodium falciparum isolates to Antimalarial  drugs after a change in malaria treatment policy

     Date: 2011- up to date    

     Funding: US Naval Medical Research Unit (NAMRU-3) 

     Role: Principal Investigator (Dr N.B. Quashie)

 

11.Title:Monitoring the efficacy of antimalarial drugs for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria in Ghana 

     Date:2010- up to date    

     Funding: Global fund

     Role: Investigator (Dr N.B. Quashie)

 

12.Title:Pharmacogenetics for every nation (PGENI) initiative

     Objective: the initiative aims at genotyping various genes in the Ghanaian population and mining published data for genetic information which will be used in building a database. This database of genetic information can then be integrated into public health decision-making and providing guidelines for medical prioritization using genetic information.

     Funding: The initiative is supported by University of North Carolina (Dr W. Kudzi)

 

13.Title: CYP2C9, VKORC1, and CYP4F2 variant frequencies in patients on both low and high stable warfarin maintenance therapy in Ghanaian population

(Dr W. Kudzi)

 

14.Title: Demographic, clinical and genetic risk factors for NVP hypersensitivity reactions in HIV patients

     Period: 2013-2014

     Role: Investigator (Dr W Kudzi)

 

15.Title: Post-Exposure Prophylaxis in healthcare workers in KBTH.

     Period: 2011-2013

     Role: Investigator (Edmund T. Nartey)

 

16. Title: Factors associated with regimen switch in HIV-positive patients attending KBTH.

      Period:  2011-2015

      Role: Investigator (Edmund T. Nartey)

 

17.Title: Health and social determinants of malnutrition and an audit of interventions to reduce the condition in a cohort of moderately and severely malnourished children attending Princess Marie Louise Hospital in Accra.

    Funding:  : 2012-2015

    Role: Investigator (Edmund T. Nartey)

 

18. Title: Child mortality indices at the Princess Marie Louise Hospital in Accra.

     Period: 2012-2015

     Role: Investigator (Edmund T. Nartey)

 

CTCPT Publications - 2012-2013

  1. Adjei GO, Goka BQ, Kitcher ED, Rodrigues OP, Badoe EV, Kurtzhals JA. Reversible audiometric threshold changes in children with uncomplicated malaria. J Trop Med. 2013;360540. doi: 10.1155/2013/360540
  2. Adjei GO, Oduro-Boatey C, Rodrigues OP, Hoegberg LC, Alifrangis M, Kurtzhals JA, Goka BQ. Electrocardiographic study in Ghanaian children with uncomplicated malaria, treated with artesunate-amodiaquine or artemether-lumefantrine. Malar J. 2012 Dec 17; 11:420
  3. Adjei GO, Adabayeri V, Annobil SH. Reversible binocular visual loss in temporal association with artesunate-amodiaquine treatment in a child on mefloquine chemoprophylaxis. Ghana Med J 2012; 46: 36-39
  4. Enweronu-Laryea CC, Adjei GO, Mensah B, Duah N, Quashie NB. Prevalence of congenital malaria in high-risk Ghanaian newborns: a cross sectional study. Malar J. 2013 Jan 11;12:17
  5. Boeuf PS, Loizon S, Awandare GA, Tetteh JK, Addae MM, Adjei GO, Goka B, Kurtzhals JA, Mercereau-Puijalon O, Hviid L, Akanmori BD, Behr C. Insights into deregulated TNF and IL-10 production in malaria: implications for understanding severe malarial anaemia. Malar J 2012; 11:253.
  6. Adu B, Dodoo D, Adukpo S, Gyan BA, Hedley PL, Goka B, Adjei GO, Larsen SO, Christiansen M, Theisen M. Polymorphisms in the RNASE3 gene are associated with susceptibility to cerebral malaria in Ghanaian children. PLoS One. 2011;6(12)
  7. Talisuna AO, Adibaku S, Amojah CN, Amofah GK, Aubyn V, Dodoo A, Juma E, Jackou DH, Mkude S, Okui AP, Ramarosandratana B, Shija SJ. (2012). The affordable medicines facility-malaria--A success in peril. Malar J. 2012 Nov 8;11(1):370. [Epub ahead of print]
  8. Dodoo, Aand Hugman B (2012) Risk Perception and Communication in Sub-Saharan Africa. Drug Safety 35(11): 1041-1052
  9. Kajungu DK, Selemani M, Masanja I, Baraka A, Njozi M, Khatib R, Dodoo AN, Binka F, Macq J, D 8217 Alessandro U, Speybroeck N Using classification tree modelling to investigate drug prescription practices at health facilities in rural Tanzania. Malar J. 2012 Sep 5;11(1):311
  10. de Sousa A, Rabarijaona LP, Tenkorang O, Inkoom E, Ravelomanantena HV, Njarasoa S, Whang JN, Ndiaye JL, Ndiaye Y, Ndiaye M, Sow D, Akadiri G, Hassan J, Dicko A, Sagara I, Kubalalika P, Mathanga D, Bizuneh K, Randriasamimanana JR, Recht J, Bjelic I, Dodoo A. Pharmacovigilance of malaria intermittent preventive treatment in infants coupled with routine immunizations in 6 african countries. J Infect Dis. 2012 Mar;205 Suppl 1:S82-90.
  11. Heininger U, Bachtiar NS, Bahri P, Dana A, Dodoo A, Gidudu J, Santos EM.(2012) The concept of vaccination failure. Vaccine. 2012 Feb 8;30(7):1265-8. Epub 2011 Dec 21.
  12. Isah, A.O, Pal, S.N., Olsson, S., Dodoo, A., Bencheikh, RS. (2012) Specific features of medicines safety and pharmacovigilance in Africa. Ther. Adv. Drug Saf.3(1): 25-34
  13. Natto M, Savioli F, Quashie NB, Rodenko B and de KoningHP (2012)Evaluation of fluorescence assays for the routine screening of drug susceptibilities of Trichomonas vaginalis.J Antimicrob Chemother,67(4):933-43
  14. Abuaku B, Duah N, Quaye L, Quashie NB, Koram K ( 2012 ). Therapeutic efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine combination in the treatment of uncomplicated malaria among children under five years of age in three ecological zones in Ghana.Malar J. 11:388. doi: 10.1186/1475-2875-11-388.
  15. Duah NO, Quashie NB, Abuaku BK, Sebeny PJ, Kronmann KC, Koram KA (2012). Surveillance of Molecular Markers of Plasmodium falciparum Resistance to Sulphadoxine-Pyrimethamine 5 Years after the Change of Malaria Treatment Policy in Ghana.Am J Trop Med Hyg, 87(6):996-1003.
  16. Nartey ET, Ofosuhene M, Kudzi W, Agbale CM. Antioxidant and gastric cytoprotective prostaglandins properties of Cassia sieberiana roots bark extract as an anti-ulcerogenic agent.BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2012) 12:65
  17. Nartey E.T., Ofosuhene M., Agbale C.: Anti-ulcerogenic activity of the African laburnum “Cassia sieberiana” root bark extract and its effect on the anti-oxidant defence system in rats. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2012, 12:247

 

Papers presented at conferences and Seminars 2012-2013

  1. Adjei GO. Uncomplicated malaria in children with sickle cell disease: are current treatment recommendations adequate? 2nd Nordic Malaria Conference, Copenhagen, Denmark, September 2012
  2. Adjei GO.Bacteraemia and malaria in children with HIV infection or sickle cell disease: incidence and treatment outcomes. 36th Annual General and Scientific Meeting, West African College of Physicians, Accra, Ghana, October 2012
  3. Ofori-Adjei D. Continuing medical education: use of medicines in Ghana. Ninth annual conference of the Ghana Physicians and Surgeons Foundation of North America, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, April 2011
  4. Ofori-Adjei D. The GPSF/GCPS Initiative: the past, present, and future. Tenth annual conference of the Ghana Physicians and Surgeons Foundation of North America, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, April 2012
  5. Quashie N, Duah N,  Abuaku B, Quaye L, Ayanful R, Abrawu G, Duplessis C, Kronmann K, Koram K (2012). Emerging trends in a Sybr Green-based in vitro test of susceptibilities of Ghanaian Plasmodium falciparum isolates to a panel of antimalarial drugsAn abstract presented at the 61st  annual meeting ofthe Americans Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Atlanta, Georgia USA, December 2012
  6. Quashie N(2013). Antimalarial drug resistance in Ghana. Presented at the Keystone meeting on Malaria, New Orleans, USA, January 2013
  7. Kudzi W, (2012) Identifying an area of research. Central University College Proposal and Report Writing Workshop, Miotso, Tema, September 2012
  8. Kudzi W(2013) Designing Instruments and Collacting Data: Barriers and Lessons Learned. UG-Brown Partnership to address HIV/AIDS in Ghana. Workshop on Scientific Writing in Public Health, Koforidua, Ghana, February 2013
  9. Tetteh R.A, Nartey E.T., Lartey M., Dodoo, A.N.O., Mantel-Teeuwisse A.K., Leufkens, H.G.M. (2012):Outcome of a post-exposure prophylaxis program at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) in Ghana.  (Abstract No. 22). Poster Presentation at the Utrecht WHO Winter Meeting 2012, 5-6 January 2012, Utrecht, Netherlands.