The Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lagos (UNILAG), on Thursday, June 4, 2026 hosted its Annual Public Lecture titled, “Systems Thinking, Complexity and Pharmacometrics in Drug Development and Evaluation,” at the 500 Lecture Hall of the Faculty of Pharmacy, College of Medicine.
The event featured Hon. Prof. Ene I. Ette, an internationally renowned pharmacologist, scientist, and distinguished alumnus of the Faculty, whose pioneering contributions to pharmacometrics and drug development have earned him global recognition, including the prestigious Sheiner-Beal Pharmacometrics Award in 2025, the first ever awarded to an African.
Vice-Chancellor Commends Knowledge-Sharing and Collaboration
Representing the Vice-Chancellor of UNILAG, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, OON, FAS , the Director of Academic Planning, Prof. Funmilayo Bammeke, welcomed participants. She noted that the lecture would illuminate the integration of mathematical modelling and systems biology in enhancing drug development, efficacy, and safety.
She described Prof. Ette as exceptionally qualified to deliver the lecture, citing his extensive expertise in clinical pharmacology and pharmacometrics. Prof. Bammeke encouraged participants to maximise the opportunity to learn from the lecture and urged the Faculty to disseminate the knowledge gained and pursue collaborative research initiatives.
Importance of Systems Thinking in Pharmaceutical Sciences
In his remarks, the Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy, Prof. Sunday Adesegun, described the public lecture as an important platform for examining contemporary approaches transforming pharmaceutical sciences.
According to him, systems thinking and pharmacometrics have become indispensable tools for advancing precision medicine and improving the drug development process. He expressed confidence that Prof. Ette’s lecture would provide valuable insights for researchers, academics, students, and industry professionals.
Prof. Adesegun also appreciated the Vice-Chancellor for her continued support of the Faculty’s academic and research activities and encouraged guests to participate actively in the discussions.
The Science of Pharmacometrics
Delivering the lecture, Prof. Ette outlined three key dimensions of pharmacometric thinking: analytical, systematic, and statistical.
Reflecting on his professional journey from pharmacology research to clinical pharmacy and pharmacokinetics, he explained the importance of understanding both drug disposition and drug effects in patients. He referenced the pioneering work of Lewis Sheiner on population pharmacokinetics and Bayesian approaches to dosage individualisation, stressing the need to account for patient variability in healthcare delivery.
Describing pharmacometrics as a disruptive innovation that emerged at the intersection of multiple disciplines, Prof. Ette drew inspiration from Leonardo da Vinci’s belief in the interconnectedness of art and science. He argued that innovation often occurs at the boundaries of established disciplines and is driven by critical thinking, creativity, and strategic foresight.
He further linked pharmacometrics to concepts of complex systems, emergence, and the “edge of chaos,” while acknowledging the foundational contributions of Lewis Sheiner and Stuart Beal through the development of the NONMEM software platform.
According to him, human curiosity, thought, and determination played central roles in the emergence of pharmacometrics as a scientific discipline.
Innovative Approaches Transforming Drug Development
Prof. Ette showcased practical applications of pharmacometrics, including studies involving clobazam pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) data and somnolence prediction models.
He examined the influence of complexity theory on scientific knowledge generation and underscored the growing importance of patient-reported outcomes in healthcare research.
The renowned scientist also highlighted developments in rare disease drug development, citing the example of blarcamesine for Rett syndrome. He explained how model-informed pharmacometrics and Bayesian analytical methods have transformed small clinical trials into powerful learning systems capable of generating meaningful evidence despite limited patient populations.
Advocating what he described as a “small data paradigm” for rare disease research, Prof. Ette argued for the combination of precision medicine and advanced modelling techniques to balance the strengths of big data with a deeper understanding of individual patients.
Advancing Population Pharmacokinetics and Precision Medicine
Reviewing the evolution of population pharmacokinetics, Prof. Ette traced the field’s progress from observational studies to sophisticated experimental designs.
He referenced landmark contributions, including the influential 1985 publication by Sheiner and Benet on pre-marketing observational studies, and discussed innovations such as informative population pharmacokinetic designs, block-randomised sampling strategies, and approaches for handling below-quantification-limit data.
Drawing from his own research, he highlighted advances in study design efficiency, parameter estimation, and missing-data analysis, emphasising the need for increasingly sophisticated methodologies in pharmacometrics research.
The guest lecturer also advocated for generative stochastic modelling as a pathway to holistic systems understanding. He highlighted the use of Restricted Boltzmann Machines (RBMs) in learning patient-reported outcomes and modelling disease progression.
Prof. Ette stressed the importance of integrating analytical, systematic, and statistical thinking in pharmacometrics research, while encouraging researchers to focus on creating value and serving humanity through scientific innovation.
He further outlined the objectives of First-Time-in-Human studies, including establishing safety profiles and therapeutic ranges, and discussed the growing role of pharmacogenomics and precision medicine in generating and utilising large-scale biomedical data.
Celebrating a Distinguished Alumnus
A citation presented during the event described Hon. Prof. Ene I. Ette as one of the world’s leading pharmacometricians and a trailblazer in pharmaceutical sciences.
Prof. Ette, who is currently the President of Anoixis Corporation, holds an honorary professorship at the University of Namibia. He is a Fellow of several prestigious professional organisations
In addition to becoming the first African recipient of the Sheiner-Beal Pharmacometrics Award in 2025, he has received several notable honours, including the American College of Clinical Pharmacy’s Therapeutic Frontier Lecture Award (2006) and the Russell Miller Award (1999).
His contributions to pharmaceutical education in Nigeria include pioneering Clinical Pharmacy practice and developing the country’s first minimum standards curriculum for Clinical Pharmacy. He has also made significant contributions to drug development research, including securing a patent relating to the shortening of Hepatitis C treatment duration.
Faculty Honours Prof. Ette for Giving Back
In recognition of his outstanding contributions to pharmaceutical sciences and his commitment to giving back to his alma mater, Prof. Mendie Udoma A. of the Faculty of Pharmacy presented an award to Prof. Ette on behalf of the Faculty.
Among those present at the event were Prof. Moshood O. Akinleye, Prof. Aderemi Williams, Prof. Owolabi, members of staff of the Faculty of Pharmacy, students, and other distinguished guests
Report: Oluwatoyin Ojo-Alo
Photograph: Islamiat Akanni
