Helmut Segner is Professor Emeritus of the University of Bern, Switzerland where he was Director of the Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health. Currently he serves as section editor of two international journals and in the scientific advisory boards of several European projects as well as for ECVAM (European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods).
- What is your field of expertise?
Having a background in biology and chemistry, I have been working in the field of environmental toxicology since more than 30 years. My research focuses on mainly two areas: (I) the development, validation and application of in vitro methods for activity profiling and ecotoxicological hazard assessment of chemicals, and (ii) the interaction of specifically acting chemicals such as hormonally active compounds and pharmaceuticals on ecologically relevant functions of aquatic animals, in particular the endocrine and immune functions.
- What do you expect from PREMIER?
I expect from PREMIER that it will substantially advance the tools and concepts for assessing the environmental risks of human medicines. Admittedly, this is a challenging task, and will need a whole range of developments, from the “green design” of new pharmaceuticals over innovative testing strategies, up to the establishment of comprehensive databases for a faster and more efficient prioritization and prediction of potential environmental risks of pharmaceuticals. Given the fact that the PREMIER consortium comprises expertise from rather diverse research fields and communities (academia, industry, regulators, etc.), I am very confident that the project will successfully meet these challenges.
“I expect from PREMIER that it will substantially advance the tools and concepts for assessing the environmental risks of human medicines. Admittedly, this is a challenging task, and will need a whole range of developments, from the “green design” of new pharmaceuticals over innovative testing strategies, up to the establishment of comprehensive databases for a faster and more efficient prioritization and prediction of potential environmental risks of pharmaceuticals.”
- Why did you agree to be part of the SAB?
The growing use of human medicines in European societies rises concern on the release of pharmaceuticals into the environment and the potential impacts on environmental health. Currently, however, there exist still critical knowledge gaps on the appropriate tools and concepts for assessing the environmental risks of pharmaceuticals. This explains why PREMIER is so much needed, and I feel privileged to have the opportunity to serve on the SAB of this fascinating project.
- What do you think are the current gaps in the/your field that PREMIER could fulfil?
Important knowledge gaps that PREMIER could fulfil include the question whether existing chemical testing strategies are indeed fit-for-purpose to assess the potential impacts of pharmaceuticals on environmental health. Current OECD Test Guidelines, for instance, measure primarily apical endpoints – are they appropriate to inform on the environmental risks arising from chemical substances, which are designed for high potency on very specific biological targets? Is it possible to develop assessment strategies that are less time consuming, less costly, and, importantly, depend less on animal testing? What kind of data and data combinations do we need to predict environmental risk associated with the use of human medicines, and how can these data made available in a user-friendly and transparent way? In my opinion, PREMIER through its multi-pronged approach is in a perfect position to provide answers to this type of questions.
“Important knowledge gaps that PREMIER could fulfil include the question whether existing chemical testing strategies are indeed fit-for-purpose to assess the potential impacts of pharmaceuticals on environmental health. “
- How could society at large benefit from the PREMIER products?
While the European societies have achieved major advancements in reducing environmental contamination by macro-contaminants, they are now confronted with the potential risks arising from environmental contamination by micro-contaminants including pharmaceuticals. PREMIER products can be instrumental for the safe use of pharmaceuticals, as outlined in the EU pharmaceutical strategy, as well as for the sustainable management of the European water sources, as laid down, for instance, in the Water Framework Directive.
