University of Calabar Teaching Hospital

University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Teaching Hospital Main Site, Calabar South, Calabar 540281, Cross River, Nigeria

Public Hospital, University or Academic Center

Serves Western Africa

The University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) is a public hospital in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. UCTH came into existence in 1979 following the need for a Tertiary Health Institution that will render clinical services at a level that meets the requirements for the training of medical students at the College of Medical Sciences of the University of Calabar, resident doctors for the different postgraduates as well as other healthcare providers in different specialties of medicine and its allied professions. The UCTH offers tertiary health care to the residents of Cross River State, surrounding states, southern Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. The UCTH is in collaboration with many medical institutions/partners in the world in areas of bacterial antibiotics resistance, cancer research, autologous blood transfusion, non-communicable diseases, amongst others.

Links to previous clinical trials:

https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05580666?lat=5.7869829&lng=7.536249400000002&locStr=University%20Of%20Calabar%20Teaching%20Hospital,%20Calabar,%20Nigeria&distance=50&rank=1

https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT00344006?lat=5.7869829&lng=7.536249400000002&locStr=University%20Of%20Calabar%20Teaching%20Hospital,%20Calabar,%20Nigeria&distance=49&page=4&rank=31#contacts-and-locations; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2724683/

https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05348915?lat=5.7869829&lng=7.536249400000002&locStr=University%20Of%20Calabar%20Teaching%20Hospital,%20Calabar,%20Nigeria&distance=49&page=1&rank=10#contacts-and-locations

Site Capabilities

Clinical Trial Experience

Therapeutic area interests:

  • Cancer
  • Infectious disease

    • Institution has received grant(s) from:

  • National Funder(s)
  • International Funder(s)

    • Sponsors for previous clinical trials include:

  • Academic
  • Government
  • Industry
  • Investigator-initiated

    • Previous clinical trials conducted:

  • Behavioral
  • Diagnostic
  • Drug – biologic
  • Drug – small molecule
  • Epidemiological
  • Observational
  • Surgical
  • Vaccine

    • Study phase capabilities:

  • Phase I
  • Phase II
  • Phase III
  • Phase IV

    • Pediatric research capabilities:

  • Yes

    • Institution Regulatory/Research Ethics Committees

    Frequency of meetings: Monthly

    Application turnaround time (IRB/IEC): 3-4 weeks

    Average time from receipt of final protocol to review and approval of study by all relevant committees: 5-6 weeks

    Additional compliance:

  • IRB/IEC in compliance with IC E6(R2) in terms of composition, functions, and operations guidelines
  • Institution and/or local regulation mandates the distribution of study safety reports to IRB/IEC

    • Institution Staffing Resources

    Staff typeStaff available (y/n) and specialty experience
    Research coordinatorYes
    -Experience in Clinical Trials
    -Training in Human Subjects Protection (HSP)
    -Training in Good Clinical Practice (GCP)
    -Training in Good Clinical Laboratory Practice (GCLP)
    Research nurseYes
    -Experience in Clinical Trials
    -Training in Human Subjects Protection (HSP)
    -Training in Good Clinical Practice (GCP)
    -Training in Good Clinical Laboratory Practice (GCLP)
    Research data managerYes
    -Experience in Clinical Trials
    -Training in Human Subjects Protection (HSP)
    -Training in Good Clinical Practice (GCP)
    -Training in Good Clinical Laboratory Practice (GCLP)
    Quality assurance managerYes
    -Training in Good Clinical Laboratory Practice (GCLP)
    BiostatisticiansYes
    -Experience in Clinical Trials
    -Training in Human Subjects Protection (HSP)
    -Training in Good Clinical Practice (GCP)
    -Training in Good Clinical Laboratory Practice (GCLP)
    Database programmersYes
    -Experience in Clinical Trials
    -Training in Human Subjects Protection (HSP)
    -Training in Good Clinical Practice (GCP)
    EpidemiologistsYes
    -Experience in Clinical Trials
    -Training in Human Subjects Protection (HSP)
    -Training in Good Clinical Practice (GCP)
    -Training in Good Clinical Laboratory Practice (GCLP)
    PathologistsYes
    -Experience in Clinical Trials
    -Training in Human Subjects Protection (HSP)
    -Training in Good Clinical Practice (GCP)
    -Training in Good Clinical Laboratory Practice (GCLP)
    PharmacistsYes
    -Experience in Clinical Trials
    -Training in Human Subjects Protection (HSP)
    -Training in Good Clinical Practice (GCP)

    Institution Diagnostic Capabilities

  • Institution has personnel capable of performing diagnostic biopsies

    • Biopsies performed on-site:

  • Core needle biopsy
  • Endoscopic biopsy
  • Fine needle aspirate
  • Liquid biopsy
  • Sentinel lymph node biopsy
  • Skin biopsy
  • Surgical biopsy

    • Laboratory basics:

  • Institution has a laboratory on site
  • Institution sends diagnostic samples to external laboratory
  • Institution’s laboratory has been inspected or audited

    • Laboratory accreditations:

  • College of American Pathologists (CAP)
  • Good Laboratory Practices (GLP)
  • International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

    • Tests performed on-site:

  • Complete blood count (CBC) with differential
  • Comprehensive metabolic-chemistry panel (CMP)
  • Routine urinalysis
  • Antibody tests
  • Antigen tests
  • Antimicrobial susceptibility and sensitivity
  • Bacterial smear and culture
  • Flow cytometry
  • Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH)
  • Fungal culture
  • Genetic testing
  • Histology
  • Immunohistochemistry (IHC)
  • Laboratory-developed tests (LDTs)
  • Microscopy
  • Ova and parasite (O&P) test
  • PCR and/or RT-PCR
  • Other nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs)
  • Viral culture
  • Viral load

    • Imaging capabilities:

  • Computed tomography (CT)
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
  • Positron emission tomography (PET)
  • Nuclear imaging
  • Ultrasound
  • X-ray
  • Pediatric imaging

    • Institution Research Systems, Recordkeeping, and Data Management

  • Institution adheres to informed consent processes compliant with ICH E6(R2)
  • Institution follows ICH E6(R2) for collection and storage of source documentation for paper and/or electronic records
  • Institution stores patient records/source documents (paper/electronic) in a secured, limited access location during and after the trial
  • For source documents collected via electronic data capture, institution has a validated system and site procedures that follow ICH E6(R2) 5.5 guidelines
  • Institution has process in place for proper storage, archiving, and retrieval of essential study document per ICH 8.1
  • Institution study monitors have full access to source documents or certified copies of source documents (if electronic) if direct access can’t be obtained
  • Institution has a finance administration team
  • Institution undergoes routine financial audits

    • Institution Pharmacy

  • Pharmacy on site
  • Pharmacy has secure, limited access storage area with daily temperature monitoring and backup generator
  • Pharmacy has standard processes in place to ensure proper receipt, handling, and storage of investigational study drug/vaccine and comparators
  • Pharmacy has standard processes in place to ensure proper dispensing
  • Pharmacy has standard processes in place to ensure proper labeling that maintains the study blind
  • Pharmacy has standard processes in place to ensure proper drug/vaccine accountability, retrieval, and return or destruction of unused product
  • Institution has a secure, limited-access investigational drug/vaccine storage area with daily temperature monitoring
  • Institution’s pharmacy has a backup generator sufficient to run necessary equipment, refrigerators, freezers, etc.

    • Institution Equipment

  • Protocol for managing anaphylactic shock
  • Institution has a blood bank
  • Institution carries out blood transfusions for patients that need it
  • Functioning IV infusion pumps
  • Functioning basic life support equipment (crash cart)
  • Functioning electrocardiogram (EKG)

    • Availability of banked blood at institution:

  • Always available
  • Occasionally available
  • Rarely available

    • Institution performs the following routine blood screening tests on banked blood:

  • HIV
  • HBV
  • HCV
  • HPV
  • HTLVI
  • HTLVII
  • Syphilis

    • Additional information:

  • Institution’s equipment is calibrated and maintained per manufacturer’s guidelines
  • Institution’s equipment calibration and maintenance is documented
  • Institution’s laboratory has a secure, limited access biological specimen storage area with daily temperature monitoring
  • Institution’s laboratory has a backup power source, with alarm, sufficient to run necessary equipment, refrigerators, freezers, etc.
  • Institution maintains and uses a diagnostic imaging protocol manual
  • Laboratory maintains and uses a laboratory protocol manual
  • Laboratory maintains and uses a laboratory protocol manual

    • Program-Specific Capabilities

    Institution Cancer Treatment Capabilities and Equipment

  • Treats cancer patients
  • Performs surgical excisions
  • Administers chemotherapy
  • Uses radiation therapy

    • Radiotherapy machines on site:

  • Linear accelerator
  • Cobalt 60
  • Brachytherapy machine

    • Institution Infectious Disease Treatment Capabilities and Equipment

  • Treats infectious disease patients
  • Protocol for managing sepsis

    • Vaccines administered on site:

  • Hepatitis B
  • Yellow Fever
  • Measles
  • Diphtheria
  • Pertussis
  • Tetanus
  • Tuberculosis
  • Poliomyelitis
  • HPV
  • Rota Virus
  • Pneumococcal Vaccine

    • Infectious disease treatment services performed on site:

  • Antimicrobial/antibiotic drugs (small molecules or biologics; including antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, antiviral medicines)
  • Immunotherapies
  • Supportive care/symptom management
  • Surgery
  • Viral load monitoring

    • Investigators at University of Calabar Teaching Hospital

    Bernadine Ekpenyong, O.D., Ph.D.

    Head, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics Unit; Associate Professor, Public Health Epidemiology

  • Cancer
  • Infectious Diseases

    • Overview

    Dr. Bernadine Ekpenyong is Head of the Epidemiology and Medical Statistics Unit, and Associate Professor of Public Health Epidemiology, at University of Calabar. In addition to her O.D. and Ph.D. degrees, she has a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree. Her research focuses on public health, optometry, and socio-behavioral aspects of health interventions in sub-Saharan Africa. Her clinical trial interests include diagnostic, drug (small molecule), epidemiological, observational, and vaccine studies for cancer (breast, cervical, prostate); infectious diseases (COVID-19, HIV, malaria, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis); and eye conditions (dry eye, glaucoma, myopia).

    Formal Clinical Trial Training*

  • Formal GCP Training
  • Formal HSP Training

    • Experience Conducting or Participating in Clinical Trials: No

    Mbang Kooffreh-Ada, MBBS

    Senior Lecturer and Chief Consultant Gastroenterologist, Department of Internal Medicine

  • Cancer
  • Infectious Diseases

    • Overview

    Dr. Kooffreh-Ada is a Senior Lecturer and Chief Consultant Gastroenterologist in the Department of Internal Medicine at University of Calabar Teaching Hospital. She is one of two gastroenterologists in Cross River State, Calabar, Nigeria. She has expertise in hepatology; medical oncology; medical management of infectious diseases (immunotherapies; supportive care and symptom management; and viral load monitoring); and training of undergraduate medical students and post-graduate medical doctors. Dr. Kooffreh-Ada has been involved in pioneering research studies on gastric and liver cancers; Helicobacter pylori; viral hepatitis; and chronic liver disease.

    Experience Conducting or Participating in Clinical Trials: No

    *Definitions

    • HSP – Human Subjects Protection
    • GCP – Good Clinical Practice
    • GCLP – Good Clinical Laboratory Practice