Moi University Clinical Research Centre Provides Resources Needed for Clinical Trials
“Clinical trials are the way to test if new interventions work in humans and if they are safe and efficacious,” said Professor Abraham Siika, site leader, Moi University Clinical Research Centre (MUCRC). “They are also the way in which optimal dosing of medication and other interventions are determined.”
The MUCRC conducts clinical trials for a variety of clients and partners including the United States’ National Institutes of Health (NIH), the U.S. Military HIV Research Program and several pharmaceutical companies. The MURC is currently conducting 10 trials with enrollment of between 30 and 700 participants each.
The MUCRC was established in 2004 as part of the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) Network. It is located within the MTRH Chandaria Cancer and Chronic Diseases Centre and operates in partnership with AMPATH and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH). The unit is supported by internationally accredited laboratory services and meets international standards for clinical research practices.*
“Clinical trials conducted in the Africa population are important as the African population is very diverse in terms of genetics and lifestyle, making it an ideal place for clinical trials on a variety of diseases,” said Prof. Siika. “The higher incidence of infectious diseases also makes it an ideal place for vaccine development.”
Kenya is home to many academic institutions and clinical research has gained more interest and momentum recently. The MUCRC includes nine investigators, pharmacists and pharm techs, data team, study coordinators, clinical officers, medical officers, nurses and recruitment specialists.
“An important component of the MUCRC is the Community Advisory Board (CAB), which includes six members who meet two times per month and represent teachers, patients, human rights organizations and women’s issues,” said Viola Kirui, site manager, MUCRC. “They review proposed protocols and also educate the community. This helps with recruitment of participants once screening is kicked off. At the end of the trial, they also share results as part of dissemination efforts.” The length of clinical trials can be as short as one or two years or up to 8 years or more.
The findings of more than a dozen clinical trials completed by the MUCRC now inform the choice of medications in clinical practice. For example, the EARNEST trial was a randomized controlled trial to evaluate options for second-line therapy for people living with HIV who were not getting the desired results on their first-line therapy.
Other studies informed the current recommendation for preventative therapy for tuberculosis for people living with HIV and the current World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation for first-line antiretroviral therapy.
Companies and organizations interested in learning more about the MURC can contact the centre at mucrc@ampath.or.ke or +254710888880.
* ISO 15189-2012 accredited, GCLP certified and DAIDs approved laboratory