AiBST Pan-African DMPK Centre of Excellence commissions a specialised DMPK and Bioanalytical Chemistry Laboratory to advance biomedical research, drug discovery and development.
On the 5th of August 2026, the Pan-African DMPK Centre of Excellence at the African Institute of Biomedical Science and Technology (AiBST TRUST) in Beatrice, Zimbabwe, launched a specialised Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics (DMPK) and Bioanalytical Chemistry Laboratory, marking an important milestone in strengthening Africa’s capacity for biomedical research, drug discovery and development.
Supported by the Gates Foundation, the new laboratory represents a broader commitment to building the people, technology, and infrastructure needed to enable high-quality research in Africa and support the development of health solutions relevant to the continent. At the heart of this vision is the leadership of Professor Collen Masimirembwa, whose work in precision medicine, drug discovery and biomedical research has helped advance the development of a stronger African research and development ecosystem. The support from the Gates Foundation recognises this work and the potential for AiBST TRUST to grow its contribution to biomedical research and drug discovery in Africa.
The launch brought together representatives from the sponsors, development partners, government, research and development ecosystem, and the media, including Fran Berliouz-Seux and Upendra Argikar of the Gates Foundation, Abdrahamane Dicko of the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), Kenneth McLeod of the University of Dundee – Drug Discovery Unit, Tanaka Sakubani of the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), TENDO, and members of the AiBSTTRUST Board and Management. Their presence reflected a shared commitment to strengthening sustainable research capacity in Zimbabwe and across Africa.
Developing a medicine is a long and complex process. A potential drug may show promise in the laboratory, but scientists need to understand what happens when that drug enters the body. This is where DMPK research becomes important. In simple terms, DMPK helps scientists understand how a medicine enters the body, where it goes, how the body changes it, and how it is eventually removed. This information helps researchers determine whether a potential medicine has the characteristics needed to progress through development and how it might be used safely and effectively. The new laboratory provides the technology and scientific environment needed to generate this information by detecting and measuring medicines and their breakdown products in biological samples.
The laboratory comes with the acquisition of an advanced SCIEX Triple Quad 6500+ LC-MS/MS system. The new analytical system provides greater sensitivity, speed and capacity for measuring medicines and their metabolites in complex biological samples. This will strengthen AiBST TRUST's ability to support a wider range of drug metabolism, pharmacokinetic and bioanalytical studies. For a non-scientist, the significance is straightforward: the laboratory can now generate more detailed and reliable information that helps researchers decide which potential medicines are worth taking further. The enhanced capability supports Grand Challenges African Drug Discovery Accelerator (GC-ADDA) and other drug discovery and development programmes in Africa, including work involving preclinical and clinical pharmacokinetic studies.
A sophisticated laboratory is only valuable when there are skilled scientists behind it. The new laboratory and lecture facilities will create additional space for training DMPK scientists through the DMPK Africa community. This translates to better research today and greater scientific capacity for tomorrow. The participation of the Ministry of Health and Child Care at the launch reinforces the importance of connecting scientific research with national health priorities. The ultimate objective is to ensure that scientific capability contributes to health solutions that are relevant to Zimbabwe and Africa.
The launch of the DMPK and Bioanalytical Chemistry Laboratory represents an important milestone for AiBST TRUST & the DMPK Africa community. However, the true measure of this investment will not be the laboratory, the equipment or the launch event itself. It will be what happens next. It will be the scientists trained, research programmes supported, collaborations established, data generated and potential medicines advanced because of this new capability.
The launch is therefore not simply the opening of a new laboratory. It is another step towards building a sustainable, Pan-African Centre of Excellence for drug discovery, development and scientific innovation.
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