A White Paper on Advancing Long-Acting Therapeutics for Maternal and Pediatric Health by Bridging Gaps in Clinical Research, Access and Regulation Moherndran Archary, Robert Bies, Osei Boateng, Rachel Daley, Pierre Gashema, et al. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 2026 As use cases for long‐acting therapeutics expand across clinical indications, there is a critical need to ensure the inclusion of women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, infants and children—populations with a historical gap in the availability of interventions already approved for use in adults. This White Paper synthesizes insights from a special session during the 1st of July 2025 workshop of the Community of Practice for Long‐Acting Therapeutics for Maternal and Paediatric Health. It was hosted by the University of Liverpool Centre of Excellence for Long‐acting Therapeutics. Attendees included stakeholders drawn from clinical practice, patient advocacy groups, academia, pharmaceutical industry, regulatory agencies, product development partners, and public health organizations. Four focus groups—centered on maternal health, pediatric health, access, and regulation—addressed three key questions: (i) What are the most urgent gaps that could hinder the adoption of long‐acting therapeutics for maternal and pediatric health indications? (ii) What critical actions are needed to address these gaps? (iii) What partnerships must be initiated or strengthened to enable or accelerate these actions? Actionable strategies to accelerate progress were identified. Key themes that emerged from the discussion included the need for inclusive and context‐sensitive research designs, harmonized regulatory frameworks, culturally responsive implementation strategies, and sustainable funding mechanisms. Platforms for fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, amplifying diverse stakeholder voices, and promoting transparency in innovation are needed. Partnership models that support inclusive development and equitable deployment will be central to successful integration and to realize the full potential of long‐acting therapeutics in advancing maternal and pediatric health.
Cigarette Smoking Influences Montelukast Pharmacokinetics in Jordanian Population Rana Said, Rana Abutaima, Basel Arafat, Yasser Kandil, Lidia Al-Halaseh, et al. Jordan Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2025 Background: Montelukast is one of the main therapeutic agents used for asthma management. Its therapeutic effectiveness is greatly influenced by the expression of metabolic enzymes and/or transporters involved in its disposition. Objectives: To assess the effect of smoking on montelukast pharmacokinetics in four bioequivalence studies against the reference drug Singulair®. Methodology: Data were extracted from bioequivalence studies to compare 10 mg generic Montelukast to Singulair® the originator. Primary pharmacokinetic parameters, maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) and area under the curve (AUC0-inf and AUC0-t) were calculated using Kinetica®. Analysis of Variance was performed to compare montelukast pharmacokinetics between smokers and non-smokers. Statistical significance was set at P ≤ 0.05. Results: Mean± SD montelukast Cmax (ng/mL) was 397.1 ± 125.7 in non-smokers compared to 352.8± 133.9 in smokers. Significant alterations in montelukast Cmax (P= 0.0206), AUC 0-t (ng. h/L) 2335 ± 111, P= 0.0016, and AUC 0-inf (ng. h/L) 2509 ± 1163, P= 0.0015 were observed in the study participants who are smokers. Conclusion: Despite the minimal fold-decrease in montelukast pharmacokinetic parameters in smokers compared to non-smokers, this might have a profound clinical impact on the therapeutic effectiveness of montelukast in patients.
Exploring Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists Usage Among Non-Diabetic Healthcare Providers: A Cross-Sectional Multi-Country Study Abdulqadir J. Nashwan, Hana J. Abukhadijah, Vidusha Karavadi, Ibrahim Aqtam, Anas Ibraheem, et al. Health Science Reports, 2025 Background and AimGlucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists (GLP‐1RAs) were initially developed for type 2 diabetes but have gained widespread use for weight management, including among non‐diabetic individuals. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of GLP‐1RA use, describe usage patterns, and explore healthcare providers' (HCPs) perceptions of their efficacy and safety.MethodsA cross‐sectional study was conducted among 657 HCPs from 10 countries using a structured online survey between September and December 2023. Convenience sampling was employed, statistical analyses were performed using STATA 17. Associations between demographic characteristics and perceptions of GLP‐1RAs were analyzed using the chi‐square test.ResultsAmong 657 HCPs, 59.2% were female and 40.8% were male, with a median age of 36.0 years (IQR: 29.0–44.0) and a median BMI of 26.7 (IQR: 23.8–30.7). Among professional groups, nurses accounted for 44.7%, followed by physicians (36.2%) and allied health professionals (18.7%). Semaglutide (45.7%, 95% CI: 41.8%−49.5%) was the most commonly used GLP‐1RA, followed by Liraglutide (36.9%, 95% CI: 33.2%−40.8%). Other GLP‐1RAs were used less frequently, including Dulaglutide (17.0%, 95% CI: 14.2%−20.1%), Exenatide (14.1%, 95% CI: 11.5%−17.0%), Albiglutide (7.0%, 95% CI: 5.1%−9.2%), and Lixisenatide (8.5%, 95% CI: 6.5%−10.9%. Regarding perceived safety, 68.6% considered GLP‐1RAs safe. Safety perceptions were significantly associated with educational level (p = 0.022), with participants holding higher degrees being more likely to perceive GLP‐1RAs as unsafe (18.3%) compared to those with a bachelor's degree or lower (10.8%). No associations were found with age (p = 0.487), sex (p = 0.729), or BMI (p = 0.089). Similarly, 73.5% of participants considered GLP‐1RAs effective for perceived efficacy. No associations were found with sex (p = 0.663) or BMI (p = 0.446). Older participants (p = 0.011) and those with higher education (p = 0.006) were more likely to perceive GLP‐1RAs as ineffective.ConclusionThis study provides the first prevalence estimate of GLP‐1RA use among HCPs and GLP1‐Ras users and explores the associations between demographic characteristics and perceptions of safety and efficacy. The findings highlight the self‐prescribing practices of these medications for weight management and underscore the need for appropriate monitoring to avoid potential health risks.
A multinational cross-sectional study on knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards magnesium supplements Rana Abutaima, Muna Barakat, Samar Thiab, Hana M. Sawan, Malak Amer, et al. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2025 BackgroundMagnesium is a vital mineral with a crucial role in different biochemical reactions. There is a contradicting evidences about its role in maintaining bone, muscle and cardiovascular health. Recently, magnesium supplements gained attention due to claimed effectiveness in improving sleep quality and relieving muscle spasm.AimThis study aimed to assess Arab communities’ knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding magnesium supplementation.MethodsA cross-sectional self-administered survey was disseminated to collect responses from different Arab countries. Descriptive statistics were calculated for demographics. Data normality was assessed using Shapiro-Wilk test. Associations between sociodemographic variables and knowledge, attitudes and practices were explored using simple and multiple linear regression. Significance level was considered at p < 0.05.ResultsA total of 1,445 responses were collected. Mean (±SD) knowledge scores were low 8.61 ± 5.9. Eighty seven percent recognized magnesium role in alleviating muscle spasm and sleep disorders (83%). Magnesium citrate was the mostly used magnesium salt (37.43%). Neutral attitudes were observed with a mean score of 3.02 ± 0.66. Only 31.8% reported using magnesium supplements, 36.1% of them received a medical consultation. Having poly cystic ovary (p = 0.033), relying on scientific articles (0.004), receiving pharmacist consultation (p = 0.019) significantly associated with higher knowledge.ConclusionDespite the huge debate regarding magnesium benefits in maintaining muscle, bone health and improving sleep quality, this study found that there is a significant gap in knowledge and neutral attitude towards magnesium supplementation in Arab communities. These findings emphasizes the need for educational campaigns targeting the public on the rationale use of supplements.
Impact of Jordanian Pharmacists’ Knowledge of the Human Microbiome: Has the Practice of Antibiotics and Probiotics Dispensing Been Affected? A Cross-Sectional Study Hana M Sawan, Wejdan A Shroukh, Rana Abutaima, Shatha Al Omari, Derar Abdel-Qader, et al. Infection and Drug Resistance, 2024 Objective This study aimed to assess Jordanian pharmacists’ knowledge of the human microbiome and the impact of their knowledge on their attitudes and practices toward antibiotics and probiotics. Methods A self-administered survey was designed after reviewing the literature. Participants’ demographics were collected, and questions to evaluate pharmacists’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward antibiotic and probiotic dispensing were asked. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences V.26. Pearson correlations and one-way ANOVA were employed to calculate the significance of knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Statistical significance was considered at p < 0.05. Results Of the 333 respondents, around 75% (n=250) had a high level of general knowledge regarding the human gut microbiome. Almost equal proportions of participants had either intermediate or high levels of knowledge about the role of gut bacteria in health (n=164, 49.2%) (n=166, 49.8%), respectively, while almost two-thirds had an intermediate level of knowledge of the role of gut bacteria in disease (n=197, 59.2%). More than half of the participants had a positive attitude toward antibiotics, probiotics, and the human microbiome (n=179, 53.8%), and the majority (n=239, 71.8%) had an intermediate level of practice with them. There was a significant positive correlation between pharmacists’ general knowledge of the human microbiome and their positive attitudes (r=0.306, p < 0.01) and practices (r=0.331, p < 0.01) toward antibiotics and probiotics. Conclusion Study results raise the importance of interventional educational measures to promote healthcare professionals’ knowledge of the human microbiome and their potential beneficence on pharmacists’ attitudes and practices regarding antibiotics and probiotics dispensing. The results also denote the urgent need for probiotics’ clinical guidelines to ensure practice uniformity.
Natural Products and Burns: A Tough Case to Crack Samar Thiab, Safa Daoud, Rana Abutaima, Muna Barakat, May Abu Taha Natural Products for Skin Diseases A Treasure Trove for Dermatologic Therapy, 2023
