Pharmacogenetic strategies to mitigate cisplatin-induced ototoxicity in head and neck cancer: A cost-minimization analysis with the use of GSTP1 c.313A>G genotyping Ligia Traldi Macedo, Vinicius Eduardo Ferrari, Ericka Francislaine Dias Costa, Gustavo Jacob Lourenço, Luciane Calonga, Arthur Menino Castilho, Carlos Takahiro Chone, Carmen Silvia Passos Lima Plos One, 2026 Background Cisplatin is a cornerstone agent in the treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Nonetheless, cisplatin is associated with significant ototoxicity, leading to substantial irreversible hearing loss. Pharmacogenetic testing offers a potential strategy to identify patients at risk, allowing for personalized treatment plans that could mitigate this adverse event and reduce related costs. Methods This study aimed to evaluate the economic impact of pharmacogenomic screening. A cost-minimization analysis was conducted using a decision-analytic model incorporating Bayesian inference through Metropolis-Hastings algorithm. Probabilities of ototoxicity were derived from existing literature. The costs of standard treatment were compared with those of a genotype-guided approach, assessing potential cost savings related to the need for audiological interventions. Results In 250 patients, the genotype-guided approach reduced the incidence of moderate-to-severe ototoxicity from 29% to 18% among low-risk patients while avoiding cisplatin in high-risk individuals. The total savings over 10 years were estimated at US$13,077.73 (Credible Interval US$11,026.07 to US$14,147.61), driven primarily by reduced costs for audiological interventions. The break-even point for cost-effectiveness was achieved when at least 275 patients were tested annually. Sensitivity analyses demonstrated that the cost savings remained robust under variations in patient volume and testing costs. Conclusions Implementing pharmacogenomic screening in the management of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients treated with cisplatin may offer significant economic benefits. Personalized treatment plans based on genetic risk for ototoxicity could potentially not only enhance patient-related outcomes but also contribute to more efficient use of healthcare resources. Prospective, randomized evaluations would be ideal to confirm these findings.
Comparative Study of ESG Practices Among Brazilian Sanitation Companies Estefânia Hetman de Almeida Caciato, Cândido Ferreira da Silva Filho, Samuel Carvalho De Benedicto, Vinícius Eduardo Ferrari, Duarcides Ferreira Mariosa, Diego de Melo Conti, Bruna Angela Branchi, Rubén Danilo Bourdon García Sustainability Switzerland, 2025 Brazilian sanitation companies disclose their sustainable practices through sustainability reports as part of their commitment to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 of the 2030 Agenda, which aims to ensure universal access to water and sanitation. This study proposes a methodology to evaluate how these companies integrate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles into their management and disclosure practices, rather than assessing service delivery or operational outputs directly. These indicators were applied to the sustainability reports of Brazil’s three largest sanitation companies: Sabesp (Companhia de Saneamento Básico do Estado de São Paulo), Copasa (Companhia de Saneamento de Minas Gerais), and Sanepar (Companhia de Saneamento do Paraná). The results indicate that all three companies have incorporated sustainability into their competitive strategies and corporate governance practices. Sabesp demonstrated a stronger adherence in the environmental and governance dimensions, Copasa excelled in social performance while also performing well in governance, and Sanepar exhibited the lowest adherence among the three. Hence, we present a methodological framework for monitoring corporate ESG performance and governance practices aligned with SDG 6, focusing on their management and disclosure practices, rather than directly assessing service delivery or operational results.
CHALLENGES FACED BY THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY IN STRENGTHENING THE BIOECONOMY IN BRAZIL Fernando Zanatta, Vinícius Eduardo Ferrari, Denise Helena Lombardo Ferreira Revista De Gestao Social E Ambiental, 2024 Objective: This study aims to discuss the chemical industry's role in developing new bioeconomic systems in Brazil. Theoretical Framework: The bioeconomy provides significant opportunities for Brazil. By exploring the country's biodiversity and environmental resources, bioeconomic systems can drive the development of innovative technologies and high-value products across various sectors. Additionally, the bioeconomy plays a crucial role in generating quality employment and preserving ecosystems. Achieving this optimistic scenario depends on the efforts of the Brazilian chemical industry in research and development (R&D). Method: This research is documental and descriptive. We reviewed several sectoral reports focusing on the obstacles to using renewable inputs from Brazilian biodiversity in the chemical sector's value chains. Results and Discussion: Brazil's bioeconomy systems face limited R&D investments due to structural bottlenecks related to the national tax system, logistical infrastructure, and high energy costs. These issues have reduced the competitiveness of the Brazilian chemical industry. Furthermore, increased imports of Chinese chemical products following the Ukraine War and the subsequent industry idleness can exacerbate these structural constraints and further erode the chemical sector's R&D funds. Research Implications: The structural problems described in this article can delay the development of renewable energy sources and innovative bioproducts. Originality/Value: We show that the chemical industry possesses the technology and scale necessary to integrate into Federal Government programs in the bioeconomy field. However, the sector's structural problems and low R&D investments tend to inhibit the development of new bioeconomic systems. Brazil must overcome these challenges to establish itself as a global bioeconomy powerhouse.
Assessing environmental impact of genetically modified seeds in Brazilian agriculture Renato Nunes de Lima Seixas, José Maria Ferreira Jardim da Silveira, Vinícius Eduardo Ferrari Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 2022 Genetically modified (GM) seeds have had relevant impacts on worldwide agriculture, even with a limited number of essential traits launched in the markets. The focus on platforms crops has favored the combination of traditional breeding, GM insertion, and diffusion in agriculture. One of the remarkable features of the GM traits has been the close link with pest and weed control systems. We investigate the environmental effects due to pesticides for two different GM seeds: insect resistant (IR) cotton and herbicide tolerant (HT) soybeans in a particular period of Brazilian agriculture, 2009–2013. We use a dataset on commercial farms' use of pesticides and biotechnology in Brazil to document environmental effects of GM traits. We explore within farm variation for farmers planting conventional and GM seeds to identify the effect of adoption on the environmental impact of pesticides measured as the quantity of active ingredients of chemicals and the Environmental Impact Quotient (EIQ) index. The findings show that the IR trait reduces application of insecticides by 22% and the associated environmental impact by 20% the environmental impact of insecticides. However, for HT traits, we find that application of herbicides increases by 55.8% and the associated environmental impact by 44.4%, showing a significant increase in the EIQ. The HT results are driven by an increase of less toxic herbicides elevenfold larger than the decrease in less toxic ones, which we interpret as evidence of weak substitutability between herbicides of different toxicity levels. Addressing what happened in the last decade, the paper also presents a view of the transformations in GM usage in Brazil, focusing on the considerable success in adopting stacked genes. Future perspectives point to a more diversified menu of technologies, crops, and adopting countries, going beyond platform crops and more prominent agriculture exporters.
Waste Biomaterials Innovation Markets Maria Ester Dal Poz, Carolina da Silveira Bueno, Vinícius Eduardo Ferrari Handbook of Waste Biorefinery Circular Economy of Renewable Energy, 2022
Patent network analysis in agriculture: a case study of the development and protection of biotechnologies Vinícius Eduardo Ferrari, José Maria Ferreira Jardim da Silveira, Maria Ester Soares Dal-Poz Economics of Innovation and New Technology, 2021 Plant biotechnology has consolidated itself as a radical agricultural innovation, boosting the patenting activities of universities, biotechnology firms, and seed & agrochemicals corporations. We use patent citations networks to study the appropriability efforts that affected the emergence and dynamics of the technological trajectories (TTs) of the genetically modified organisms. Our methodological contribution consists of combining new procedures to identify TTs with the study of the characteristics of scale-free networks. This paper also proposes legal enforcement indicators that attempt to assess the economic importance of patents that make up citation networks. We identify two TTs that include patents on biotech traits and enabling technologies. These patents were both effective in collecting royalties from farmers and deterring potential entrants, particularly through intellectual property (IP) litigation. The results also show that these litigated patents have impacted merger and acquisition activity in seed industry. We conclude that IP lawsuits may have contributed to delaying the R&D investments of new entrants, thus preserving the monopolistic position enjoyed by the pioneering company and restricting the scope of crop innovations.
Cost-minimization analysis of GSTP1c.313A>G genotyping for the prevention of cisplatin-induced nausea and vomiting: A Bayesian inference approach Ligia Traldi Macedo, Vinicius Eduardo Ferrari, Juliana Carron, Ericka Francislaine Dias Costa, Leisa Lopes-Aguiar, Gustavo Jacob Lourenço, Carmen Silvia Passos Lima Plos One, 2019 BACKGROUND: Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting are concerning adverse events resulting from cancer treatment, and current guidelines recommend the use of neurokinin-1-selective antagonists, such as fosaprepitant, in highly emetogenic schemes. However, the implementation of this strategy may be limited by the cost of treatment. GSTP1 c.313A>G genotype was recently described as a predictor of vomiting related to high-dose cisplatin. We hypothesized that the inclusion of routine GSTP1 c.313A>G screening may be promising in financial terms, in contrast to the wide-spread use of fosaprepitant. METHODS: A cost-minimization analysis was planned to compare GSTP1 c.313A>G genotyping versus overall fosaprepitant implementation for patients with head and neck cancer under chemoradiation therapy with high-dose cisplatin. A decision analytic tree was designed, and conditional probabilities were calculated under Markov chain Monte Carlo simulations using the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm. The observed data included patients under treatment without fosaprepitant, while priors were derived from published studies. RESULTS: To introduce screening with real-time polymerase chain reaction, an initial investment of U$ 39,379.97 would be required, with an amortization cost of U$ 7,272.97 per year. The mean cost of standard therapy with fosaprepitant is U$ 243.24 per patient, and although the initial cost of routine genotyping is higher, there is a tendency of progressive minimization at a threshold of 155 patients (Credible interval-CI: 119 to 216), provided more than one sample is incorporated for simultaneous analysis. A resulting reduction of 35.83% (CI: 30.31 to 41.74%) in fosaprepitant expenditures is then expected with the implementation of GSTP1 c.313A>G genotyping. CONCLUSION: GSTP1 c.313A>G genotyping may reduce the use of preventive support for chemotherapy induced nausea and lower the overall cost of treatment. Despite the results of this simulation, randomized, interventional studies are required to control for known and unknown confounders as well as unexpected expenses.
RECENT SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Pharmacogenetic strategies to mitigate cisplatin-induced ototoxicity in head and neck cancer: A cost-minimization analysis with the use of GSTP1 c.313A>G … LT Macedo, VE Ferrari, EF Dias Costa, GJ Lourenço, L Calonga, ... PloS one 21 (4), e0345371 , 2026 2026
Comparative Study of ESG Practices Among Brazilian Sanitation Companies E Hetman de Almeida Caciato, C Ferreira da Silva Filho, ... Sustainability 17 (16), 7312 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
TRACING THE DEVELOPMENT OF COVID-19 VACCINES: A PATENT-BASED STUDY BC Martinelli, VE Ferrari, CF da Silva Filho, MRR Georges Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental 19 (6), 1-12 , 2025 2025
THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE LIFESTYLE OF BRAZILAN INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN LIGHT OF THE 2030 AGENDA C Bonetti, IJ Bottoni, RC Rocha, SC de Benedicto, RM Longo, DF Mariosa, ... ARACÊ 7 (5), 28629-28650 , 2025 2025
Comparative Study of ESG Practices Among Brazilian Sanitation Companies EH de Almeida Caciato, CF da Silva Filho, SC De Benedicto, VE Ferrari, ... Sustainability 17 (16), 1-14 , 2025 2025
COST SIMULATION OF GSTP1 C. 313 A> G GENOTYPING FOR OTOTOXICITY RISK ASSESSMENT IN HEAD AND NECK SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA PATIENTS UNDERGOING CISPLATIN-BASED CHEMORADIOTHERAPY LT Macedo, VE Ferrari, L Calonga, CT Chone, CSP Lima Hematology, Transfusion and Cell Therapy 46, S1-S2 , 2024 2024
Estudo sobre o agronegócio e o desmatamento na Amazônia–período de 2007 a 2021 AMDEA MOREIRA, VE FERRARI, OM FALSARELLA Multidebates 7 (4), 42-50 , 2023 2023 Citations: 2
Adesão das empresas do setor de suco de laranja do Brasil às práticas sustentáveis MM Bettini, CF da Silva Filho, MRR Georges, VE Ferrari Revista Caribeña-QUALIS B1 12 (3), 1327-1342 , 2023 2023
The worldwide patent landscape of biorefinery-related: technologies between 2000 and 2022 V Ferrari, L Moraes, MRR Georges 2023
Challenges and opportunities in reducing food losses and waste in brazil: the role of public policies for sustainable development AMM Longo, DS Beneli, V Ferrari 2023 Citations: 1
Um estudo sobre o progresso das agendas de promo o da seguran a alimentar e do desenvolvimento agr cola V Ferrari, AMA Moreira, BA Branchi, SC Benedicto CONTRIBUCIONES A LAS CIENCIAS SOCIALES , 2023 2023
Evaluating the Environmental Impact of Ethanol Fuel: Particle Number Emissions in Flex-Fuel Vehicles A Olmos, MRR Georges, VE Ferrari, CF da Silva Filho, ... 2023
Adesão aos objetivos do desenvolvimento sustentável (ODS) pelas empresas brasileiras GPC Penna, CF da Silva Filho, VE Ferrari, MRR Georges Latin American Journal of Business Management 13 (2) , 2022 2022 Citations: 11
Waste biomaterials innovation markets MED Poz, C da Silveira Bueno, VE Ferrari Handbook of waste biorefinery: Circular economy of renewable energy, 93-118 , 2022 2022 Citations: 2
Assessing environmental impact of genetically modified seeds in Brazilian agriculture RNL Seixas, JMFJ Silveira, VE Ferrari Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology 10, 977793 , 2022 2022 Citations: 26
Notes on the development of water treatment technologies: an analysis of patent applications between 2000 and 2020 VE Ferrari, MEC Araújo 2022
A STUDY ON THE DIFFERENT STAGES OF THE PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY AND THE CONCENTRATION OF THE GLOBAL SEED MARKET VE Ferrari, MEC de Araújo 2021
FAMILY AGRICULTURE AS A MEANS FOR SUSTAINABLE LOCAL DEVELOPMENT IN BRAZIL TD Coleto, CF Silva Filho, SC De Benedicto, VE Ferrari 2021 Citations: 4
Patent network analysis in agriculture: a case study of the development and protection of biotechnologies VE Ferrari, JMFJ da Silveira, MES Dal-Poz ECONOMICS OF INNOVATION AND NEW TECHNOLOGY 30 (2), 111-133 , 2021 2021 Citations: 17
INDÚSTRIA QUÍMICA BRASILEIRA E BIODIVERSIDADE: DESAFIOS E OPORTUNIDADES F Zanatta, VE Ferrari, DHL Ferreira Anais do II SUSTENTARE e V WIPIS - Workshop Internacional sobre … , 2020 2020
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Propriedade Intelectual e Desenvolvimento no Brasil AM BUAINAIN, RF SOUZA Rio de Janeiro: ABPI–Associação Brasileira da Propriedade Intelectual , 2019 2019 Citations: 66
Assessing environmental impact of genetically modified seeds in Brazilian agriculture RNL Seixas, JMFJ Silveira, VE Ferrari Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology 10, 977793 , 2022 2022 Citations: 26
Propriedade intelectual e inovações na agricultura. AM BUAINAIN 2015 Citations: 26
Patent network analysis in agriculture: a case study of the development and protection of biotechnologies VE Ferrari, JMFJ da Silveira, MES Dal-Poz ECONOMICS OF INNOVATION AND NEW TECHNOLOGY 30 (2), 111-133 , 2021 2021 Citations: 17
Sustentabilidade: um fenômeno multifacetário que requer um diálogo interdisciplinar SC De Benedicto, CF da Silva Filho, MRR Georges, VE Ferrari Sustentabilidade: diálogos interdisciplinares 1, 1-24 , 2020 2020 Citations: 16
Adesão aos objetivos do desenvolvimento sustentável (ODS) pelas empresas brasileiras GPC Penna, CF da Silva Filho, VE Ferrari, MRR Georges Latin American Journal of Business Management 13 (2) , 2022 2022 Citations: 11
A inconsistência teórica e empírica da hipótese central do rent seeking VE Ferrari Mediações 16 (1), 323-344 , 2011 2011 Citations: 5
FAMILY AGRICULTURE AS A MEANS FOR SUSTAINABLE LOCAL DEVELOPMENT IN BRAZIL TD Coleto, CF Silva Filho, SC De Benedicto, VE Ferrari 2021 Citations: 4
Cost-minimization analysis of GSTP1 c.313A>G genotyping for the prevention of cisplatin-induced nausea and vomiting: A Bayesian inference approach LT Macedo, VE Ferrari, J Carron, EFD Costa, L Lopes-Aguiar, ... Plos one 14 (3), e0213929 , 2019 2019 Citations: 4
Poulantzas, o estado o conceito de hegemonia. VE Ferrari Revista de Estudos Sociais 14 (28), 53-74 , 2012 2012 Citations: 4
Seleção e apropriação de biotecnologias agrícolas: uma análise sobre as trajetórias tecnológicas associadas aos organismos geneticamente modificados VE Ferrari [sn] , 2015 2015 Citations: 3
Estudo sobre o agronegócio e o desmatamento na Amazônia–período de 2007 a 2021 AMDEA MOREIRA, VE FERRARI, OM FALSARELLA Multidebates 7 (4), 42-50 , 2023 2023 Citations: 2
Waste biomaterials innovation markets MED Poz, C da Silveira Bueno, VE Ferrari Handbook of waste biorefinery: Circular economy of renewable energy, 93-118 , 2022 2022 Citations: 2
Assentamentos sustentáveis na Amazônia: avaliação econômica do projeto de desenvolvimento sustentável Bonal RCG Maciel, OF de Oliveira, HC da Silva Menezes, GS Silva, ... Revista de Estudos Sociais 21 (43), 45-62 , 2019 2019 Citations: 2
Propriedade intelectual e inovações tecnológicas na indústria de sementes: discussões sobre os conflitos judiciais entre a Monsanto e os agricultores brasileiros VE Ferrari, MN Pacheco Revista de Estudos Sociais 21 (43), 89-103 , 2019 2019 Citations: 2
O conflito entre acionistas e gestores e o caso da Petrobrás MS Loural, VE Ferrari III Encontro Nacional de Economia Industrial e Inovação , 2018 2018 Citations: 2
The importance of intellectual property rights to the plant biotechnology industry VE Ferrari, MES Dal-Poz, JMFJ da Silveira The WINIR Symposium on Property Rights, Bristol, UK , 2016 2016 Citations: 2
Comparative Study of ESG Practices Among Brazilian Sanitation Companies E Hetman de Almeida Caciato, C Ferreira da Silva Filho, ... Sustainability 17 (16), 7312 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
Challenges and opportunities in reducing food losses and waste in brazil: the role of public policies for sustainable development AMM Longo, DS Beneli, V Ferrari 2023 Citations: 1
Responsabilidade social: A experiência das firmas brasileiras de alimentos e bebidas BSC Francisco, VE Ferrari 2020 Citations: 1
