Developing novel drug treatments and special tests for pregnant women

A significant barrier to reducing maternal mortality and severe morbidity globally is a lack of innovative medicines. This is reflective of a broad under-investment in pharmaceutical research and development (R&D) of medicines for pregnancy-specific conditions. The Accelerating Innovation for Mothers (AIM) project was established in 2020 to develop a database of candidates being developed and evaluated for priority maternal health conditions for the period 2000 to 2021, and to develop new Target Product Profiles for new medicines in this area. In this project, the student will work on advancing the “drug pipeline” for innovative medicines in maternal and perinatal health. Available projects include: - Research into what medicines are available for specific life-threatening conditions in maternal and perinatal health - How to improve the development of Target Product Profiles for novel and repurposed medicines in maternal and perinatal health - Determining which critical maternal health medicines are on-label / off-label for use in pregnancy - Determining the cost-effectiveness of diagnostic and predictive tests for preterm birth and pre-eclampsia - Developing a drug pipeline for priority conditions, such as hyperemesis gravidarum These projects will allow the student to gain experience in global maternal and perinatal health research, systematic review and quantitative analysis methodologies, with a view to a scientific publication.