Professor George Njoroge Calls for Kenya to Turn Health Research into Medicines, Diagnostics and Vaccines

Kenya must accelerate efforts to transform scientific research into medicines, diagnostics, vaccines and other health technologies that directly benefit citizens, leading Kenyan scientist and medicinal chemistry expert Professor George Njoroge has said.

Speaking during the Kenya Health Summit, Professor Njoroge said the country has the scientific talent, research institutions and technological capacity needed to move from being largely a consumer of imported health technologies to becoming a producer and innovator.

He cautioned, however, that developing new medicines is a complex and expensive process that cannot be rushed, particularly for novel treatments.

“For novel modalities, you cannot shortchange the process. There is no shortcut,” Professor Njoroge said.

He explained that drug development begins with laboratory research and progresses through animal studies before advancing to human clinical trials. Phase I trials primarily establish safety, Phase II evaluates efficacy and safety in larger groups, while Phase III involves large-scale randomised and double-blind trials before regulatory approval.

Professor Njoroge said regulators are equally important in ensuring that every stage is properly documented and complies with the required safety and quality standards.

He noted that one of the drugs he worked on took about 15 years and approximately $1 billion to reach the market, demonstrating the resources and patience required to develop innovative medicines.

AI could speed up drug discovery

Professor Njoroge identified artificial intelligence and machine learning as emerging technologies that could help reduce the time required for parts of the drug discovery and development process.

He said Kenya has an important advantage in its universities, which are producing a growing pool of young scientists, researchers and technology experts capable of applying AI to pharmaceutical research.

He also highlighted research into traditional medicines as an area with significant potential, particularly where there is existing evidence of use and established safety profiles.

According to Professor Njoroge, Kenya should strengthen collaboration between scientists, universities, industry and regulators to ensure promising discoveries do not remain confined to laboratories and academic publications.

KEMRI research shows local potential

Professor Njoroge praised the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) for its contribution to the development of diagnostic technologies that have brought disease testing closer to communities.

He cited diagnostic technologies for malaria, river and bilharzia-related diseases, as well as innovations that have improved access to testing for HIV and hepatitis B.

He said such achievements demonstrate the ability of Kenyan researchers to develop solutions that respond to local health challenges.

Professor Njoroge also called for greater investment in clinical research involving African populations, arguing that medicines developed elsewhere must be adequately evaluated among the people who will ultimately use them.

He pointed to collaborations between KEMRI and pharmaceutical companies as an example of how local research can generate evidence to improve treatment outcomes while potentially reducing healthcare costs.

Precision medicine is the future

The scientist further highlighted genomics and precision medicine as major areas that will shape the future of healthcare.

He said advances in genomic and DNA research could eventually allow doctors to select treatments based on an individual's genetic and biological characteristics rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach.

“In future, you are not going to be given chemotherapy without knowing your biological profile, your genetic profile,” he said.

Professor Njoroge said Kenya should invest more aggressively in genomic research and related technologies to prepare for this transformation in healthcare.

Kenya has the talent to become a health technology producer

Professor Njoroge said Kenya has reached a point where it can build a stronger domestic health technology industry by combining scientific expertise, modern equipment, research funding and partnerships with industry.

“We have the talents that can do that. We are getting the right equipment to do that,” he said.

He urged policymakers and research institutions to ensure that investments in science ultimately produce tangible health solutions for Kenyans.

Professor Njoroge's scientific career spans some of the world's leading pharmaceutical research institutions. He served as a Senior Research Fellow at Eli Lilly and Company and as Director of the Department of Medicinal Chemistry at Merck Research Laboratories, where he oversaw chemistry programmes in infectious diseases.

His work at Merck contributed to the discovery of Victrelis, also known as Boceprevir, an anti-Hepatitis C medicine approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2011. He also led the chemistry team that discovered Narlaprevir, another Hepatitis C protease inhibitor.

He is a first-class honours graduate of the University of Nairobi and holds a PhD in Organic Chemistry from Case Western Reserve University, which he completed in 1985.

Professor Njoroge has authored or co-authored 134 scientific publications and holds 104 US-granted patents. In 2012, he was inducted into the American Chemical Society's Hall of Fame as a Hero of Chemistry in recognition of his contribution to pharmaceutical research and drug discovery.

He has also received the Emerald Award for Professional Achievement in Industry, the Thomas Alva Edison Patent Award and the Distinguished Alumni Award from Case Western Reserve University, alongside honorary doctorates from Mount Kenya University and KCA University.

Professor Njoroge is currently the Chief Scientific Officer at Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital and has served on the Board of Directors of KEMRI, where he chaired the Research and Innovation Committee. He has also served on the board of KCA University and is Chairman of the Council at Daystar University.

His message to Kenya was clear: scientific research must ultimately translate into products, technologies and treatments that improve the lives of wananchi.