Getting From the Bench to the Patient

Drug regulatory affairs under focus: Knowledge and perceptions among pharmacists and pharmacy students

OBJECTIVES

Pharmaceutical product development, registration, and post-marketing surveillance are the main concerns of the Regulatory Affairs (RA) profession in regulated pharmaceutical industries. The RA assumes a pivotal role in ensuring product quality, patient safety, and drug efficacy and constitutes a vital part of the pharmaceutical industry. The current study aims to evaluate the knowledge and understanding of the concept of RA and Drug Registration (DR) among pharmacists and pharmacy students in Jordan.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted targeting pharmacists in different sectors and pharmacy students to assess knowledge and perceptions of RA and DR in Jordan. The participants were invited to participate by sending the survey link through social media platforms (WhatsApp).

RESULTS

A total of 411 participants completed the study survey. Among the study participants, 193 were pharmacists (47.0%), while the rest were pharmacy students. The majority indicated that they had never taken a course related to RA during their undergraduate studies (77.4%). About half of the participants lacked awareness of RA personnel responsibilities with most of the participants agreeing that workshops, lectures, and training are required.

INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

This study aims to elevate Jordanian pharmacists' awareness by focusing the efforts on young pharmacists and pharmacy students. This can be achieved by implementing RA courses within the pharmacy curricula and upholding the role of the regulatory bodies in Jordan.

Silencing of BCSG1 with specific siRNA via nanocarriers for breast cancer treatment

Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women worldwide. The current treatments for breast cancer, including surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy aim to destroy cancer cells, whereas they also cause damage to normal tissues and cells. Thus, an effective, safe and specific breast cancer treatment is urgently needed. The breast cancer-specific gene 1 (BCSG1) has been shown to be specific for the development of breast cancer and is a target for breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. It is expected to silence the expression of BCSG1 at the gene level for the purpose of treating breast cancer. The effect of RNAi technology on silencing target genes is comparable to gene knockout and has been widely used in animal experiments and plant genetic research. In the field of cancer therapy, numerous investigators have used siRNAs to specifically inhibit target genes, demonstrating that siRNAs can treat cancers at the molecular level. However, the delivery of siRNAs into humans needs to overcome multiple physiological barriers, limiting the clinical applications of siRNAs. This review focuses on the application of BCSG1 gene, siRNAs in cancer treatments, and the nanocarrier delivery system of siRNAs. The potential application and research value of BCSG1-specific siRNA in the treatment of breast cancer are discussed.