Born from the passion to change the Sub-Saharan African landscape of clinical research through efficient, multi-disciplined service by the best-in-class experience of great minds, Xcene Research was formed.
Adebukunola Telufusi is the Chief Executive Officer and visionary of Xcene Research, and in 2015, she saw opportunities in Sub-Saharan Africa to address the various complex challenges in healthcare through inventive solutions; dared to explore the unknown and go above and beyond for healthcare partners and the patients who depend on them.
In 2017, she engaged the first nine employees, fondly called the “fantastic 9” and ever since then, it has been a journey of excellence, innovation, and impact. The goal has always been to bring clinical trials to a more diverse population, resulting in increased patient access to new drugs and improved patient outcomes. The Therapeutic areas covered include cardiovascular, haematology, neurology, nephrology, and medical devices, among others.
Xcene Research is an African company for Africans. Starting operations from one country – Nigeria, Xcene has established pivot hubs in 5 countries (Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, and Nigeria) and 50+ sites across the continent. The operational year was 2017, when Xcene conducted its first medical device study in Lagos and Ibadan, two year after becoming fully operational.
In 2019, Xcene achieved a major breakthrough by partnering with a leading biotechnology company dedicated to advancing Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) research. This collaboration marked a pivotal moment in Xcene’s journey, positioning the organization as a key player in driving clinical research and innovative therapies for SCD in Nigeria.
Through this partnership, Xcene contributed to establishing critical research frameworks, site readiness, and operational capacity to support groundbreaking studies aimed at improving outcomes for individuals living with SCD across Africa. This milestone laid the foundation for future collaborations and solidified Xcene’s commitment to addressing one of Africa’s most pressing genetic health challenges.
The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic underscored the urgent need to strengthen healthcare systems both globally and locally. During this critical period, Xcene recognized the opportunity to play a pivotal role in building resilient healthcare infrastructure and advancing capacity for vaccine research and development across Africa.
In collaboration with global and local partners, Xcene actively supported initiatives to ensure access to vaccine trials on the continent and facilitated the provision of essential personal protective equipment (PPE) to frontline workers. Despite the challenges of remote operations, our teams remained fully engaged prioritizing the physical and mental well-being of all employees while diligently developing the operational framework required to conduct vaccine trials safely and effectively.
This experience reinforced Xcene’s commitment to innovation, resilience, and collaboration in advancing public health preparedness across Africa.
Our corporate social responsibilities, which highlight the Chief Executive Officer’s love for the community, aim at giving back to mostly vulnerable communities. The CSR activities have touched 1500+ individuals, leveraged 30+ advocates, and empowered mostly women and children across several healthcare areas, such as sickle cell, malaria, the blind community, and widows.
Our seminars and webinars have been intertwined with global efforts to continue raising awareness on healthcare issues and leveraging industry experts and best minds to facilitate and discuss efficient methods, systems, and tools to treat, prevent, and drive innovation.
The Impact Africa Summit was birthed by Xcene Research with its maiden edition in 2020 aimed to foster dialogue between the public and private sectors in a forum that offers valuable networking and information exchange. The summit has brought together 1000+ attendees, 50+ speakers across USA, Europe, and Africa, 20+ symposiums, forums, conferences, and workshops. Themes have cut across Building Sustainable Capacity for clinical trials in Africa and Achieving Healthcare equity through the deliberate inclusion of diverse demographics in Africa to achieve healthcare innovation.
Xcene team has grown in bounds from a staff strength of 9 in 2017 to 100+ individuals who are leaders at every level across the board and willing to build communities one step at a time. The new building now located at 1, Ogunsiji Close, S & B Tejuosho Estate, Off Allen Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria is home to the family which is the lifeblood of the organization. They are the powerful minds that help our partners do the incredible bringing unmatched expertise to every step of the medical innovation process.
We believe the success of our partners is our success. We learn and evolve together, joining forces across service lines and disciplines to revolutionize the world of healthcare.
