Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné

Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL), Gabon. Founded in the early 1990s, then attached to the Albert Schweitzer Hospital, CERMEL became independent later on and is now one of the leading African medical research institutions with more than 200 permanent employees and temporary workers from sub-Saharan African countries and abroad. CERMEL has played an essential role in advancing our understanding of epidemiological, pathophysiological, immunological, clinical and therapeutic aspects of malaria as well as several neglected tropical diseases. The development of antimalarials and vaccines occupies a prominent place. Still, CERMEL has developed successfully in many other areas, including developing drugs against helminths and Ebola and hookworm vaccines.

Role within eWHORM

In eWHORM, CERMEL will support the “Establishment of a master trial protocol and related documents“ work package and it co-leads the “Clinical trial conduct” work package. To this end, CERMEL will be involved in developing the master trial protocol, the disease-specific sub-study protocols and related documents. Furthermore, CERMEL, with its long experience in clinical trials, will conduct the clinical trial with Loa loa as the main pathogen and, secondarily, Mansonella perstans and soil-transmitted helminths. CERMEL will also strengthen the capacities of other African partners in the conduct of clinical trials.