Clinical Pharmacology

Ongoing Projects:

1. World Health Organization Project:
- Efficacy and tolerability of re-treatment with single dose of Diethylcarbamazine and Diethylcarbamazine plus Albendazole for two years in a field study of lymphatic filariasis in villages Kurzadi and Selukate, India

2. Johns Hopkins University Project (funded by NIH):
- Prevention of maternal to infant HIV transmission in India. A Randomised clinical trial of single dose of Nevirapine to mothers and a single dose to infants compared to additional Nevirapine to breast-fed infants until 6 weeks postpartum

3. ICMR Projects:
a) Efficacy of 14 days primaquine as anti relapse therapy with PCR analysis of primary and relapse isolates
b) Efficacy of 75 mg bulaquine as a gametocytocidal agent in P falciparum
c) Evaluation of 2 rapid diagnostic tests- Optimal and Paracheck versus smear microscopy in P falciparum malaria
d) Safety, efficacy and pharmacokinetics of Nevirapine administered intra-partum to HIV-1 infected mothers and efficacy in their neonates for prevention of vertical transmission in India.
e) HPLC determination of primaquine and its metabolite, to monitor its efficacy as an anti relapse and gametocytocidal agent
f) Evaluation of safety and efficacy of 6 Mercaptopurine in acute lymphoblastic leukemia
g) Assessment of Effect of antiepileptic drugs on Bone Mineral Density (BMD) and biochemical markers in young Indian epileptic patients and monitoring antiosteoporotic treatment using biochemical markers of bone turnover in epileptic patients showing osteoporotic changes.
h) Menstrual cycle and hormonal changes in epileptic women receiving antiepileptic therapy.
i) Characterisation of thiopurine s-methyl transferase (TPMT) Polymorphism in normal, healthy , Indian Subjects.
j) Evaluation of effects of antiepileptic drugs on cognitive function in adolescent epileptic patients.
k) An open prospective trial of the safety and efficacy of piperine as add on therapy in adult patients of refractory partial and secondarily generalized seizures.
l) Evaluation of 3 dose regimes of primaquine - 15 mg x 14 days, 30 mg x 7 days and 30 mg x 14 days versus placebo as anti-relapse in Plasmodium vivax (Planned n=1000; completed n=800).
m) A randomized, parallel group, study of the safety and efficacy of Bulaquine versus primaquine for gametocytocidal action in acute , uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in adults in Mumbai, India.

4) CDRI Projects:
- Evaluation of the hepatoprotective effect of Picroliv in patients receiving multi drug therapy for tuberculosis. Ø Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of CT- 1 a novel herbal anti diabetic agent in patients with recent onset Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Academic projects:
- Evaluation of drug induced hepatotoxicity in admitted patients: A prospective Study
- Utilization of nonallopathic drugs for management of GI Disorder and Rheumatoid Arthritis.

5) Pharmaceutical Projects:
- Phase I study of an anti-infective compound

6) Projects in collaboration with other clinical Department
- Pharmacokinetics of oral Nevirapine suspension in HIV-1 infected pregnant mothers for prevention of vertical transmission in Mumbai.