Strengthening capacity for health innovation in Africa: Launch of the H3D-F and IFPMA partnership

David Barros

VP, Head of Global Health R&D, Tres Cantos Unit, GSK

David Barros is VP within GSK R&D with the current title of Head of the Global Health Pharma Research Unit (GHPRU). This unit has an end2end scope, with more than 90 GSK staff members based in the GSK’s R&D center in Tres Cantos (Madrid, Spain), focused on the discovery and development of novel regimens for the treatment of Global Health diseases including Malaria, Kinetoplastid diseases, and Tuberculosis.

In addition to this role, David is the scientific coordinator of several international consortia that with a focus on the clinical development of novel clinical candidates such: anTBiotic (H2020, €6M, 2017-2021), ClicK-TB (€7M, EDCTP 219-2025) and, more recently, two large multi-pharma IMI projects (ERA4TB and Unite4TB, €200M total budget each from 2020-2027), which are focused on the discovery and development of novel drugs and novel combination therapies for the treatment of multi-drug resistant TB from discovery to end of Phase 2.

David has a background in Medicinal Chemistry, completed his PhD and postdoctoral studies in Loughborough University (UK) and Universidad Autónoma of Madrid (Spain) in the field of asymmetric synthesis.

Belinda Bhoodoo

Africa Engagement Committee, IFPMA

Belinda is on secondment with the IFPMA - Africa Engagement Committee (AEC). She is responsible for managing the AEC Local Production Task Force work as well as managing the partnership between the IFPMA and the H3D-Foundation.

Belinda is the Global Health Consultant for the Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly) Global Health Philanthropic Partnership Programs in South Africa and India.

With over 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, Belinda joined Lilly in 2004, where she held various roles in sales, marketing, and business leadership in South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. Her most recent assignment was that of Corporate Affairs Director for the Lilly affiliate in South Africa. In that role, she led the affiliates policy, government affairs, market access, key accounts, public relations, advocacy, and communications as well as corporate social responsibility work.

Belinda has a BSc degree in Botany and Zoology and a BSC Honours in pharmacology from the University of the Witwatersrand. She also holds a management advancement programme (MAP) certificate from the Wits Business School. She is in the process of completing her MBA with the Management College of Southern Africa (MANCOSA).

Kelly Chibale

Founder and Director, H3D and Chairman and CEO, H3D Foundation

Kelly Chibale is a full Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Cape Town (UCT) where he holds the Neville Isdell Chair in African-centric Drug Discovery & Development. He is also a Full Member of the UCT Institute of Infectious Disease & Molecular Medicine, a Tier 1 South Africa Research Chair in Drug Discovery, founding Director of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Drug Discovery & Development Research Unit at UCT and the Founder and Director of the UCT Drug Discovery and Development Centre (H3D).

Kelly obtained his PhD in Synthetic Organic Chemistry from the University of Cambridge in the UK (1989-1992). This was followed by postdoctoral stints at the University of Liverpool in the UK (1992-94) and at the Scripps Research Institute in the USA (1994-96). He was a Sandler Sabbatical Fellow at the University of California San Francisco (2002), a US Fulbright Senior Research Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (2008) and a Visiting Professor at Pfizer in the UK (2008).

In 2018, Kelly was recognized by Fortune magazine as one of the World's 50 Greatest Leaders and in 2019 he was named as one of the 100 Most Influential Africans by New African magazine.

Kerry Cullinan

Africa Editor, Health Policy Watch

Kerry Cullinan is the Africa editor for the Geneva-based Health Policy Watch (https://healthpolicy-watch.news). Previously, she worked as health editor for openDemocracy (opendemocracy.net). She ran Africa’s first independent non-profit health news agency, Health-e News, for 14 years. During this time, they managed a multi-million dollar communications campaign on the dangers of sugary drinks, developed an app to assist rape survivors, and produced thousands of stories for mainstream TV, radio, print, and online outlets in South Africa.

Glaudina Loots

Director, Health Innovation, Department of Science and Innovation, South Africa

Glaudina Loots is the Director for Health Innovation at the Department of Science and Innovation in South Africa and as such is responsible for the implementation of the Health components of the bioeconomy strategy for South Africa. She concentrates on enabling research and innovation that leads to discovery and evaluation of new drug and treatment regimes, the development of new vaccines and new robust diagnostics, as well as the development of medical devices. Glaudina was instrumental in the creation of the Strategic Health Innovation Partnership Initiative at the South African Medical Research Council.

Glaudina is a member of the Ministerial Advisory Committees on COVID-19 Vaccines, and also serves on the South African National Health Research Committee, the South African National AIDS Council, and the Advisory Board of the “Towards and HIV Cure Initiative” of the International AIDS Society. She is a Board member of The Biovac Institute, a Public-Private-Partnership aimed at the local manufacturing of vaccines and biologics.

Patrice Matchaba

Head, US Corporate Responsibility and President, Novartis US Foundation

Patrice Matchaba, MD is President of the Novartis US Foundation.

Previously, as Novartis Group Head of Global Health & Corporate Responsibility, Patrice helped integrate the Novartis Access Principles where the company seeks to make its medicines & healthcare solutions accessible to all, regardless of geography, income or limitations of local health systems. Novartis aims to reach 50% more patients through these programs by 2025, and plans to increase the number of patients receiving its innovative medicines in LMICs. To further solidify the Company’s commitment to making an impact, under Patrice’s leadership, Novartis issued an industry-first sustainability-linked bond in 2020, bringing these targets into the core of its business operations.

Patrice qualified & practiced as an Obstetrician and Gynecologist in Southern Africa, before joining Novartis in 2000. He completed the Harvard Business School Program of Management Development (PMD) in 2001 & he is a board member of the Natural Capital Coalition. During the past year he sat on the Value Balancing Alliance steering committee & board. These two organizations are recognized as leaders in changing how corporations measure their impact on society by integrating Stakeholder Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) interventions into their core strategy for greater societal impact.

Trevor Mundel

President, Global Health, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Trevor Mundel leads the foundation’s efforts to develop high-impact interventions against the leading causes of death and disability in developing countries. He manages the foundation’s disease-specific R&D investments in HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, pneumonia, enteric and diarrheal diseases and neglected tropical diseases. He also manages cross-cutting product development programs, including Discovery & Translational Sciences, Innovative Technology Solutions, Integrated Development, and Vaccine Development & Surveillance. This work relies on close collaboration with an international network of grantees and partners.

Trevor spearheaded the creation of the Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute, and in 2020 he has led the foundation’s efforts to support the development of diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines for the global response to COVID-19.

Prior to joining the foundation in 2011, Trevor was global head of development with Novartis and previously was involved in clinical research at Pfizer and Parke-Davis.

Born and raised in South Africa, Trevor earned his bachelor’s and medical degrees from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. He also studied mathematics, logic, and philosophy as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, and he earned a Ph.D. in mathematics at the University of Chicago.

Greg Perry

Assistant Director General, IFPMA

Greg Perry joined IFPMA in 2018 and has responsibility for IFPMA’s external outreach and stakeholder engagement in global health topics including innovation, access, and the international regulatory environment.

Prior to joining IFPMA, Greg worked as Executive Director of the Medicines Patent Pool, and as Director General of the European Generic Medicines Association in Brussels. Previously, he worked as a partner in a UK public affairs company as a European Union policy advisor to corporate and NGOs, and before that as a Parliamentary Advisor to EU Parliament members. Greg is a Member of the Advisory Council of the Organization for Professionals in Regulatory Affairs (TOPRA) and is a former member of the Standing Advisory Committee before the European Patent Office (SACEPO). Greg also holds the Golden Cross of Merit of the Republic of Poland.

Colin Pillai

CEO, CP+ Associates and CEO, Pharmacometrics Africa

Colin Pillai runs two social ventures that develop scientific capability in drug discovery and development in low- and middle-income countries. Previously, he worked as a pharmacometrician and a senior leader at Roche and Novartis in Switzerland. He acquired his clinical and research experience in hospital and community pharmacy, academia and at the South African Medical Research Council’s Tuberculosis Research programme running Phase 1 clinical trials. Colin is a Honorary Professor at UCT, a Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and a Senior Advisor on capacity development for global health to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Jutta Reinhard-Rupp

Head of Merck Global Health Institute

Jutta Reinhard-Rupp is the Head of the Global Health Institute at Merck, based in Switzerland. Her focus is the discovery and development of innovative healthcare solutions for most vulnerable populations such as children and their mothers in developing countries. The disease focus of the institute is on Schistosomiasis and Malaria.

Since January 2008, she has been working at Merck in Switzerland with increasing responsibilities on the implementation of key strategic initiatives in drug discovery and development. In 2011, Jutta implemented the Merck Bioethics Advisory Panel with renowned experts from various fields of bioethics, biomedical law and religious studies. Since 2017, she is the Head of the Merck Global Health Institute steering a comprehensive portfolio including the development of a new pediatric formulation of Praziquantel to treat schistosomiasis in young children, the development of new anti-malarial treatments and new child-friendly diagnostics. She also serves as scientific advisor at various boards, including CouNTDown in the UK, EDCTP, the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership and DZIF in Germany.