Dr Richard Beteck, of the subprogramme Drug Discovery at the Centre of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences (PharMaCen), has left the Faculty of Health Sciences at the North-West University (NWU) extremely proud of his latest achievement! Dr Beteck received the runner-up award for best oral presentation at the Annual Conference on Pharmaceutical Sciences of the Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences (APSSA) of the Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa (PSSA), hosted at Rhodes University in Makhanda from 21 to 23 August.

The APSSA encourages contributions of excellence in the pharmaceutical sciences by providing recognition where such is due. Dr Beteck’s research was exactly that – a contribution of excellence. His presentation, titled Quinolone: A versatile anti-infective agent, aimed to create awareness of the various subclasses of the quinolones drug class. It is commonly known among researchers that fluoroquinolones (for example, ciprofloxacin) are one of the most-prescribed classes of antibiotics and that they exhibit their antibacterial activity by inhibiting DNA gyrase and/or topoisomerase IV.

During his presentation, Dr Beteck sought to highlight that fluoroquinolones form only one subclass within the quinolones drug class. He wanted to inform scientific communities that the so-called class effect, often observed in terms of toxicities and drug resistance in different classes of antibiotics, does not apply to quinolones, as this particular drug class contains different subclasses, each with a unique pharmacological profile.

Contributors to the presentation included PhD candidates Phelelisiwe Dube and Klaudia Angula and the director of PharMaCen, Prof Lesetja Legoabe. Dr Beteck, known for his ambition to grow as a researcher, thoroughly enjoyed his collaboration with each of these individuals. He also found the highlight of the conference to be the attendance of an impressive range of experts in the different stages and aspects of drug discovery, drug development and patient care. This speaks both of his passion to learn from the experts and his ability to engage as one of them.

The APSSA is known for catering to the needs of pharmacists and non-pharmacists involved in the pharmaceutical industry. Membership criteria require individuals to contribute to the pharmaceutical sciences and technology and the professional practice of pharmacy through active involvement, or through an interest in education, research and development, production, control or the marketing of medicines, or community or hospital practice of pharmacy.

We honour Dr Beteck for his contribution and active participation in proceedings and activities that are of relevance to both national and international scientific and pharmaceutical communities. Congratulations and thank you, Dr Beteck!

Dr Richard Beteck