The Holistic Drug Discovery and Development (H3D) Centre at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, founded by director Kelly Chibale, is engaged in the discovery of new medicines. This facility aims to address diseases prevalent in Africa, such as malaria and tuberculosis, an agenda often set by institutions in North America, Europe, and Asia.
Founding and Mission
Kelly Chibale, a Zambian chemist, established H3D in 2010. His motivation stemmed from observing the robust drug discovery pipelines in wealthier nations while recognizing a gap in Africa, which faces its own health challenges amidst limited funding and infrastructure.
Chibale returned to Africa in 1996, driven by a desire to demonstrate that world-class research is achievable on the continent.
Innovative Research Approach
The H3D Centre's research involves screening large numbers of molecules to identify compounds that can inhibit pathogens or their key enzymes. Researchers focus on molecules that selectively target the parasite without harming mammalian cells. Promising molecules are further refined for increased potency.
This approach led to the discovery of a new type of malaria drug that advanced to clinical trials in South Africa and Ethiopia over a decade ago.
This marked the first instance of an Africa-led international effort taking a drug from laboratory discovery to human clinical trials for any disease.
The development was halted due to safety concerns identified in rat studies, related to the drug's novel mechanism targeting an enzyme present in both the parasite and human host.
Addressing Challenges and Talent Retention
H3D also aims to retain scientific talent in Africa, counteracting the historical trend of scientists moving to Western countries. The center employs over 75 individuals, including scientists like Mathew Njoroge from Kenya and Mwila Mulubwa from Zambia.
A critical aspect of drug development is determining appropriate dosages, which requires understanding how drugs are absorbed, metabolized, and excreted in specific populations. Africa is recognized as the most genetically diverse continent, meaning drug metabolism can vary significantly among different subpopulations.
Traditional methods for determining drug dosage involve using liver samples from the target patient population. In Africa, organ donation for scientific research faces cultural taboos and historical mistrust of the scientific process.
The H3D team is utilizing a limited number of existing liver samples and employing computer models to simulate drug metabolism in African populations and predict optimized dosages.
Impact and Future Vision
Philip Rosenthal, a malaria researcher at UCSF, described the H3D Centre as the leading facility globally for comprehensive drug discovery and development focused on diseases of the developing world.
Mohammad Shafiul Alam, a parasitologist from Bangladesh, believes H3D's model is replicable across the Global South and encourages partnerships with research groups in Asia and Latin America.
Chibale emphasizes the importance of African institutions addressing diseases like malaria, which disproportionately affect the continent. His personal experience battling malaria as a child further motivates his commitment to discovering new medicines.