Mauritius: The vision of the Government is to establish Mauritius as a medical, pharmaceutical and biotechnological hub for the region, and the aim is to set up an industry whereby Mauritius will be able to manufacture its own medicines and vaccines for the local and also for international markets.
This opening statement was made by the Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Kailesh Kumar Jagutpal, on 16 October 2023, at the official launching ceremony of the website of the Clinical Research Regulatory Council (CRRC), held at Caudan Arts Centre, Port-Louis.
The event was a joint collaboration of the CRCC and the Ministry of Health and Wellness. The Chairperson of the CRRC, Dr Marie France Chan Sun, and other personalities were present on the occasion.
In his address, the Minister stated that Mauritius aims to provide an appealing and supportive setting for the extensive conduct of clinical research, upholding rigorous standards of public transparency and safety for participants in clinical trials, as well as becoming an established clinical trials destination in the region. He further emphasised the need to promote innovation and research to yield this outcome.
The Health Minister listed the key stakeholders involved in clinical trials, namely, the CRCC, the Economic Development Board (EDB), the Ethics Committee, the Pharmacovigilance Committee, Contract Research Organisations and averred that the CRCC has approved 106 trials for the treatment of diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, hepatitis, amongst others.
Dr Jagutpal announced that the website will be the endorsed platform for the CRRC and serve as the official interface for all relevant stakeholders.
In line with the E-Health strategy, he added that this website aims to enhance communication between Contract Research Organisations (CRO) and stakeholders and will ultimately provide for online licensing applications.
Moreover, he recalled that the objective of this website is to rejuvenate clinical trials in Mauritius, draw the interest of international investors, and boost the global recognition of the CRRC as a regulatory body.
The Minister assured that his Ministry is committed to extending full support to all parties engaged in clinical trials in Mauritius and is looking forward to its fruitful evolution. He conveyed his gratitude to the Ministry of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation, the Government Online Centre, the EDB and the CRRC for their pivotal role in the design and content of the newly launched website.
For her part, Dr Chan Sun presented the official logo of the website and pointed out that it is a significant milestone attained by the CRRC whereby it portrays the pivotal role of a regulatory body in providing clinical trial licences in Mauritius. She indicated that this CRCC website will grant Mauritius more visibility and help demarcate it on the global platform.