Simulations Plus, Inc. (Nasdaq: SLP), a leading provider of modeling and simulation software and services for pharmaceutical safety and efficacy, today announced that Gustavo Mendes Lima Santos has joined its Regulatory Affairs team on a one-year fellowship appointment. Mendes Lima Santos will collaborate with global health regulatory agencies, industry, and academia on the development and validation of mechanistic modeling and simulation strategies to support regulatory interactions.
“We are incredibly fortunate and thrilled to have Gustavo as a member of our team,” said Sandra Suarez-Sharp, vice president, Regulatory Affairs at Simulations Plus. “He is a world-class scientist and leader with vast expertise and knowledge evaluating a wide variety of products, including small molecules, biologics, and novel and complex dosage forms. His appointment marks an expansion of our accomplished team, and we welcome his experience to help mentor and advance the Latin American markets to accelerate drug development programs by leveraging modeling and simulation. He will also offer strategic direction for our regulatory affairs initiatives to drive success in today’s complex pharmaceutical landscape.”
Mendes Lima Santos joined the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (Anvisa) in 2003 and gained expertise in numerous fields, including bioequivalence assessment, marketing authorizations, and clinical research. In 2019, he assumed the role of General Manager of Medicines and Biological Products at Anvisa, where he was responsible for managing drug and biological product submission review teams. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he became Anvisa’s chief spokesperson, regularly communicating the agency’s work to the Brazilian people as well as supporting other South American countries. Gustavo is a Ph.D. candidate at the State University of Maringa in Brazil and recently embarked on a 2-year sabbatical from Anvisa. In addition to joining Simulations Plus, he is contributing to the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) as a Research Scientist, and he is the first Brazilian regulator to be invited to this prestigious organization.
“It is a moment of great honor for me to work with the team of highly motivated and talented scientists at Simulations Plus,” said Mr. Santos. “My experience at Anvisa provides me with a rare and unique perspective on both the drug development and regulatory decision-making processes. An area of great personal interest has always been to promote and support the use of modeling and simulation to improve patient outcomes. As part of this fellowship program, I will have the opportunity to join a multidisciplinary team to advise regulatory strategy planning for drug product development programs in Latin America and around the globe while also expanding my knowledge and understanding of modeling and simulation applications. I will also actively contribute to research collaborations and seek partnerships to advance the science. It is this extraordinary opportunity to work with the team at Simulations Plus, with its 25-year track record of success improving global health through innovative solutions, which was so appealing to me.”