The High Court has summoned Professor David Ndetei, husband of the murdered Victoria Mutiso, to appear on Wednesday for cross‑examination regarding an affidavit that opposes bail for his ex‑wife Rose Mbithe and their two children.

Science & Tech

South African AI Platform Leova Takes Second in Global Clinical Trial Challenge

By Odipo RiagaOctober 19, 20262 min read

South African AI Platform Leova Takes Second in Global Clinical Trial Challenge

A South African artificial intelligence platform named Leova has earned second place in the 2026 CDISC AI Innovation Challenge. The achievement marks a rare global recognition for African technology that supports clinical trial database preparation. You can now see how a locally built tool can accelerate study setup for your projects. The platform was developed by Johannesburg based BioInformatiCo and draws on years of hands on trial experience.

Leova automates the creation and testing of digital databases that collect data during a clinical trial. The system reduces manual effort from weeks to days by generating forms and validation rules from a study protocol. Earlier error detection lets teams focus more resources on the scientific questions rather than on database fixing. The approach also shortens the validation cycle and lowers the overall cost of preparing a study database.

Shirley Collie founder and chief executive of BioInformatiCo said the award proves African innovation can serve global research needs. "This recognition shows that technology built in Africa can improve clinical trial processes worldwide" she said. She added that the platform helps local teams stretch limited budgets while maintaining data quality. The company plans to use the momentum to expand its reach beyond the continent in the coming years.

Recent reductions in United States health funding have placed extra pressure on South African research programmes. HIV studies and early phase vaccine work have been especially affected by the budget shortfalls. Automating the build and test steps of a clinical trial database can cut both hours and expenses for stretched teams. Leova was designed with this exact challenge in mind and offers a practical way to keep projects moving.

The platform reads a study protocol then drafts data collection forms and validation rules in a single workflow. It then builds the database and runs simulated participants that are deliberately crafted to break the rules. This early stress test reveals weaknesses before any real participant enters a clinical trial environment. Research teams can then fix problems early and avoid costly rework later in the study.

BioInformatiCo pairs Leova with specialist data management support rather than selling a stand alone licence. In one project the platform reduced database testing and validation from five days of specialist effort to a single day. The company now runs trials across sub‑Saharan Africa and prepares a United States site while talking to sponsors in Europe and Australia. A seed funding round is planned to fuel the next development phase and to broaden the platform's impact on clinical trial preparation worldwide.

banner-ad

We use cookies to run this site and, once you agree, to understand how it is used. See our Cookie Policy for details.