Biomedical Research Foundation Academy Of AthensAcademy Of Athens
Pharmacology & Pharmacotechnology

The Pharmacology & Pharmacotechnology Lab of BRFAA, belongs to the Center of Basic Research I, and has been founded to explore and develop new therapeutic approaches, investigate the mechanisms of pharmacological action and examine the effects and interactions of drugs with living organisms at the cellular, molecular and biochemical level.

Our goal is to contribute to the preclinical and clinical evaluation of drugs and collaborate with the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, the public and regulatory authorities, the research centers and the Universities.

Services of the Pharmacology & Pharmacotechnology Lab

Pharmacokinetics, ADME testing and bioequivalence: what is it ?

Expertise, Strengths and Infrastructure of the Pharmacology & Pharmacotechnology Lab of BRFAA

Representative Publications of the Research Group

Contact Information


Services of thePharmacology & Pharmacotechnology Lab

  • pre-clinical and clinical drug discovery and development
  • Pharmacokinetics (PK) of drugs in pre-clinical and clinical stages
  • Drug metabolism (in vivo and in vitro)
  • Biodistribution studies (brain penetration, tumour analysis etc)
  • Bioavailability and bioequivalence studies
  • Quantitative and qualitative drug analysis in biological fluids and tissues
  • Bioavailability of bioactive components of natural products and nutrients
  • Biomarker quantitative determination (peptides, polypeptides, hormones, lipid mediators etc) in various matrices

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Pharmacokinetics, ADME testing and bioequivalence:  What is it?

  • Pharmacokinetics is the determination of the fate of drug substances administered externally to a living organism.
  • Bioavailability studies determine the rate and extent to which the active substance or active moiety from a pharmaceutical form enters the systemic circulation and becomes available at the site of action.
  • Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion (ADME) testing is used to determine the properties of pharmaceuticals in order to support drug discovery and development.
  • Bioequivalence of a generic drug product is achieved if the bioavailability of the active ingredient is not statistically significantly different from this of the standard drug product, when administered at the same molar dose.

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Expertise, Strengths and Infrastructure of the Pharmacology & Pharmacotechnology Lab of BRFAA

  • ΕΝ ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accredited.*
  • Operates under the principles of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP).
  • Equipped with a State of the Art Liquid Chromatography-Electrospray Ionisation–Tandem Mass Spectrometry system, a hybrid triple quadrupole linear ion trap (LC/ESI-MS/MS).
  • State of the Art nano-LC coupled with nano-ESI mass spectrometry.
  • All equipment is certified and calibrated by external experts or by our in house experts from the Office of Biomedical Technology.
  • High Processing Computer Cluster that provides users with the computing power of 116 CPUs and a large number of GPUs.
  • Expertise in in vitro metabolism protocols (liver microsomes, kidney membranes, cell cultures).
  • In house modern animal facility, that enables the optimal coordination of drug formulation, animal dosing, and bioanalysis.
  • Lab members and Quality Assurance Manager have been trained extensively on drug bioanalysis techniques, on ISO and GLP practices and have excellent scientific records.
    * Scope of accreditation according to EN ISO/IEC 17025:2005: Determination of the drug leuprolide in plasma, based on a LC-MS/MS method

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Representative Publications of the Research Group

  • Tamvakopoulos C, Dimas K, Sophianos ZD, Han Z, Wyche JH, Pantazis P (2007). Metabolism and anticancer activity of the curcumin analogue, dimethoxycurcumin. Clin Cancer Res 13(4):1269-1277.
  • Tamvakopoulos C (2007). Mass spectrometry for the quantification of bioactive peptides in biological fluids. Mass Spectrom Reviews 26 (3):389-402.
  • Sofianos ZD, Katsila T, Kostomitsopoulos N, Balafas V, Matsoukas J, Tselios T, Tamvakopoulos C (2008). Pharmacokinetics and In Vitro Metabolism of Leuprolide in Mice - Mass Spectrometry Based Evaluation of Efficacy and Toxicity. J Mass Spectrom 43(10):1381-1392.
  • Siskos AP, Katsila T, Balafas E, Kostomitsopoulos N, Tamvakopoulos C (2009). Simultaneous Absolute Quantification of the Glucose-Dependent Insulinotropic Polypeptides GIP1-42 and GIP3-42 in Mouse Plasma by LC/ESI-MS/MS: Preclinical Evaluation of DP-IV Inhibitors. J Proteome Res 8(7): 3487-3496.
  • Anderson R, Franch A, Castell M, Pérez-Cano FJ, Bräuer R, Pohlers D, Gajda M, Siskos AP, Katsila T, Tamvakopoulos C, Rauchhaus U, Panzner S, Kinne RW (2010). Liposomal encapsulation enhances and prolongs the anti-inflammatory effects of water-soluble dexamethasone phosphate (Micromethason) in experimental adjuvant arthritis. Arthritis Res Ther 12(4):R147

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Contact Information

Dr. Constantin Tamvakopoulos
Head of Scientific Affairs – Bioanalysis Laboratory
Pharmacology & Pharmacotechnology Lab
Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens,
Soranou Ephessiou 4
Athens, GR-115 27
Greece
Tel: +30 210 6597 475
       +30 210 6597 484
e-mail: ctamvakop@biocademy.gr

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