#ACRN has signed an MOU with the African Institute of Biomedical Science and Technology #AiBST in Harare. This partnership, which leverages AIBST’s expertise in pharmacogenomics and pharmacokinetics, is a significant step towards advancing clinical research in Africa. It will enhance capacity building in clinical trials and bioequivalence studies, integrate advanced technologies, and ensure governance and accountability, sparking optimism for the future of healthcare in Africa.
AiBST is a private, not-for-profit research and education institute established in 2002 in Zimbabwe. It is a hybrid academic and biopharmaceutical institute focusing on translational genomics and therapeutics research and innovation.
ACRN Chief Executive Officer Dr Tariro Makdzange and Professor Collen Masimirembwa, president and Chief Scientist at AiBST, emphasised at the MOU signing ceremony that the ambitious term ‘Africa’ in both organisations’ names reflects a shared belief that ‘we, as Africans, will drive our continent’s future. This partnership is a testament to the empowerment of African professionals in shaping the future of clinical research in Africa.
Dr Makadzange thanked the Ellison Institute of Technology #EIT for its commitment to priming the start of ACRN and challenging the organisation to be entrepreneurial and self-sustaining, integrating a digital-based infrastructure that will enable clinical research capabilities needed to make it globally competitive.
She expressed gratitude to the #Gates Foundation for their crucial support in laying the foundation of ACRN, challenging ACRN to develop a collaborative framework on the continent, working across multiple sectors, and aiming to build the life sciences industry. The Foundation has also been important in highlighting the need for the global industry to contribute to building clinical trial research capabilities in the life sciences industry in Africa as it did in Asia and Eastern Europe a couple of decades ago.”The support from the Gates Foundation has been instrumental in establishing strong partnerships that are truly African-led, and we are hopeful that this will create a sustainable model for life sciences in Africa,”said Dr Makadzange.
Professor Collen Masimirembwa, who is also a distinguished Professor of Clinical Pharmacology at Wits University in South Africa, paid tribute to the Gates Foundation for supporting and encouraging AiBST to become a centre of excellence.
“This support from the Gates Foundation now facilitates a lot of experimental work that used to have samples shipped out of Africa, to the global north, to be done locally. Now, we are building capacity. Our partnership with ACRN enables us to translate that capacity into impact. This is a significant change from the tradition where people impose their sense of our problem and how we should solve it,” he said.
Under the MOU, ACRN will leverage AIBST’s expertise in pharmacogenomics and pharmacokinetics (PK) analysis to enhance clinical trials and bioequivalence studies, promote capacity building through external partnerships, integrate advanced technologies, and ensure governance and accountability.
The agreement for Clinical Trials and Bioequivalence Studies between ACRN and AiBST provides opportunities in the following areas:
- Bioequivalence studies.
- Bridging studies to address clinical PK studies to evaluate drug-drug and drug-gene interactions when drugs approved elsewhere are introduced in Africa.
- Part of the multi-centre first in Human Phase I safety and dose finding studies seek to include African genetic status, which may be necessary for the candidate drug.