Research

Our research focuses on anesthesiologic pharmacology, more specifically on pharmacometric modelling and simulation of data from clinical drug trials. The primary fields of our research currently focus on exploring the possibility to reduce opioid use with adjuvants added to opioid therapy in postoperative setting, finding out dosing schemes for different patient populations with pharmacometric methods, and to establish covariate effects that can be used in the future to individualize drug therapy. Our previous research has focused on explaining the between-subject variability in drug-drug-interactions (e.g. Saari et al., 2006, 2010), and PK-PD using pharmacometric modelling (Saari et al., 2012, 2014, 2024; Jeleazcov et al., 2014; Ashraf et al., 2018, 2024; Li et al., 2020). Our recent interest has moved on finding a panel of biomarkers and individual characteristics that could be used to guide dosing in different patient populations (Brink et al., 2021). I am currently collaborating with highly synergistic and focused set of leading research groups both in Finland (University of Helsinki and University of Tampere) and abroad (University of Uppsala and University of Erlangen-Nüremberg).

For further information, please send me mail at teisaa(at)utu.fi!

Selected publications:

Ashraf MW, Poikola S, Neuvonen M, Kiiski JI, Kontinen VK, Olkkola KT, Backman JT, Niemi M, Saari TI. Population Pharmacokinetic Quantification of CYP2D6 Activity in Codeine Metabolism in Ambulatory Surgical Patients for Model-Informed Precision Dosing. Clin Pharmacokinet. 2024 Oct 23. doi: 10.1007/s40262-024-01433-9. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39441506.
Saari TI, Strang J, Dale O. Clinical Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Naloxone. Clin Pharmacokinet. 2024;63:397-422.
Brinck ECV, Virtanen T, Mäkelä S, Soini V, Hynninen VV, Mulo J, Savolainen U, Rantakokko J, Maisniemi K, Liukas A, Olkkola KT, Kontinen V, Tarkkila P, Peltoniemi M, Saari TI. S-ketamine in patient-controlled analgesia reduces opioid consumption in a dose-dependent manner after major lumbar fusion surgery: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. PLoS One. 2021 Jun 7;16(6):e0252626.
Li X, Frechen S, Moj D, Lehr T, Taubert M, Hsin C-H, Mikus G, Neuvonen PJ, Olkkola KT, Saari TI, Fuhr U. A Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic Model of Voriconazole Integrating Time-Dependent Inhibition of CYP3A4, Genetic Polymorphisms of CYP2C19 and Predictions of Drug-Drug Interactions. Clin Pharmacokinet. 2020; 59:781-808.
Uusalo P, Guillaume S, Siren S, Manner T, Vilo S, Scheinin M, Saari TI. Pharmacokinetics and Sedative effects of Intranasal Dexmedetomidine in Ambulatory Pediatric Patients. Anesth Analg. 2020; 130:949-57.
Ashraf MW, Peltoniemi MA, Olkkola KT, Neuvonen PJ, Saari TI. Semimechanistic Population Pharmacokinetic Model to Predict the Drug-Drug Interaction Between S-ketamine and Ticlopidine in Healthy Human Volunteers. CPT Pharmacometrics Syst Pharmacol. 2018; 7:687-697.
Peltoniemi MA, Hagelberg NM, Olkkola KT, Saari TI. Ketamine: A Review of Clinical Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics in Anesthesia and Pain Therapy. Clin Pharmacokinet. 2016; 55:1059-77.
Saari TI, Ihmsen H, Mell J, Fröhlich K, Fechner J, Schüttler J, Jeleazcov C. Influence of intensive care treatment on the protein binding of sufentanil and hydromorphone during pain therapy in postoperative cardiac surgery patients. Br J Anaesth. 2014; 113(4):677-87.
Jeleazcov C, Saari TI, Ihmsen H, Mell J, Fröhlich K, Krajinovic L, Fechner J, Schüttler J. Population pharmacokinetic modeling of hydromorphone in cardiac surgery patients during postoperative pain therapy. Anesthesiology. 2014; 120:378-91.
Saari TI, Ihmsen H, Neuvonen PJ, Olkkola KT, Schwilden H. Oxycodone clearance is markedly reduced with advancing age: a population pharmacokinetic study. Br J Anaesth. 2012; 108:491-8.