Our AI model KERMT is helping to advance drug discovery
Our scientists harness AI and machine learning in small molecule lead optimization
March 19, 2026
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In the lead optimization phase, scientists fine-tune early molecules in the hopes of finding a molecule that might one day become a medicine.
Traditionally, this stage takes months, and most drug candidates never make it to clinical testing. But advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML), including our new AI foundation model KERMT, could help change that.
What is KERMT and how is it transforming small molecule research?
Developed in collaboration with Nvidia, KERMT, pronounced “Kermit” and short for Kinetic GROVER Multi-Task, is a deep-learning computer model trained on more than 11 million molecules. It learns from patterns in vast amounts of chemical data with the goal of helping scientists better predict how a molecule will behave in the body, potentially spotting issues much earlier and reducing the need for months of lab work.
KERMT isn’t just helping our researchers; as an open-source model, its code is available to the whole scientific community.
How AI models can impact drug development timelines
In a recent interview with Healthcare Brew, Senior Director of Data Science Alan Cheng said AI is already “speeding up the early stages of drug development dramatically.”
“AI is sometimes cutting timelines by 30% or more, improving drug candidate quality and reducing costs,” Cheng said. “This is a very meaningful acceleration. While clinical trials remain lengthy, our models are enabling faster identification of disease targets and optimized compounds, which should increase probability of success and shorten preclinical phases.”
Open-source AI for the scientific community
AI/ML is evolving at an incredible pace: access to relevant data is growing, computing power is expanding and deep-learning algorithms are rapidly improving. Advances like KERMT can give teams a powerful new way to make better informed decisions and focus their time on the most promising drug candidates.
These changes have the potential to create unprecedented opportunities to speed and strengthen the discovery of new drugs — with the goal of bringing safer, more effective medicines to patients faster.
Merck is supporting community-led efforts to improve sustainable access to health care through $10 million in new grants
March 19, 2026
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We’re working to boost people’s access to health around the world with a series of new global grants — from strengthening dengue prevention in Southeast Asia to improving maternal health outcomes in Tanzania, and more.
We recently awarded the grants, totaling more than $10 million, to 44 non‑governmental organizations across 32 countries. The projects will support community‑led efforts to improve sustainable access to high‑quality health care (view the full list of grant recipients). These investments will help:
Expand care in underserved communities
Support screening, prevention and treatment efforts
Train health care workers
Close gaps in care through education, care navigation and digital tools
“By investing in community-led efforts, we aim to help more people gain sustainable access to essential health services while closing gaps in care.”
Kalahn Taylor-Clark, Ph.D., MPH VP and head of social impact and sustainability
Social impact and sustainability grantees
The grants are awarded through two programs created to improve access to health globally: Solutions for Healthy Communities and Merck for Mothers. We developed Solutions for Healthy Communities based on the belief that local organizations are best positioned to create meaningful, lasting change for their communities. Merck for Mothers is our global initiative to help create a world where no woman has to die while giving life.
Some examples of projects we’re excited to support starting in 2026 include:
Patient education and navigation for uninsured community members in the U.S.: Community Volunteers in Medicine (Pennsylvania) will provide care navigation, preventive health education, referrals and coordinated follow‑up for approximately 30 uninsured patients per month following hospital or emergency department discharge. The program aims to reach more than 5,500 individuals and train 100 health care workers to help address care gaps affecting an estimated 35,000 uninsured community members.
Strengthening dengue outbreak response in Southeast Asia: Asia Dengue Voice and Action Ltd. will deploy a digital platform to provide health care workers with real‑time data and improved access to public health resources, enabling faster and more targeted dengue prevention and response across high‑risk communities.
Targeted interventions to improve maternal health outcomes in Tanzania: Pathfinder will expand access to high‑quality maternal health care across 60 facilities in Morogoro, a region with one of Tanzania’s highest maternal mortality ratios (>75 per 100,000 live births). Using a hub‑and‑spoke model, digital tools, and partnership with local government, the initiative will strengthen service delivery, referrals, supervision, data use and the provider–client experience.
Improving continuity of maternal care for vulnerable women in Romania: UNICEF will equip community nurses with standardized digital tools to monitor pregnancies and coordinate care by adding a dedicated pre‑ and postnatal module to the Aplicația Medicală Comunitară platform. This approach will help address gaps in maternal care for rural populations facing provider shortages and fragmented referral pathways.
“By empowering women to seek care sooner and educating frontline health care workers about cancer, lives can be saved and families will thrive,” said Jennifer Dent, president and CEO of BIO Ventures for Global Health, one of this year’s recipients. The organization is working to improve breast and cervical cancer outcomes in Nigeria and Kenya by strengthening the community health workforce, empowering communities with health knowledge and communicating project impacts to inform policy and practice.
Notes of resilience: A musician’s journey with head and neck cancer
One singer-songwriter found the strength to keep going after his head and neck squamous cell carcinoma diagnosis by accepting help and embracing love and music
March 10, 2026
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In 2023, Jon Michaels was happily balancing the joys and routines of life – from his publishing job and his passion for music as a singer-songwriter to cherishing moments with his wife, Jeannie, and their daughter, Jennings.
One day, Michaels noticed a painless lump in his neck. Since it didn’t affect his ability to sing, talk, eat or drink, he initially dismissed it. When the lump persisted, he was urged to see a doctor who conducted a biopsy and surgically removed the lump. Then came the news that changed his life forever – Michaels was diagnosed with head and neck cancer. He now had to face the impact of this diagnosis on his life, his loved ones – and his music.
“I was wondering, ‘How would I react if I were to be diagnosed with cancer?’” he said. “That day, I found out.”
What is head and neck cancer?
Head and neck cancer describes tumors that develop in or around the throat, larynx, nose, sinuses and mouth. In 2022, there were more than 947,000 cases of head and neck cancer worldwide. These data include cancers of the salivary glands, hypopharynx, oropharynx, nasopharynx, larynx, lip and oral cavity. Michaels’ diagnosis, squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, is the most common type of head and neck cancer and begins in the flat, squamous cells that make up the thin mucosal lining of the head and neck.
Michaels’ painless lump is a common symptom of this disease. Other symptoms may include a sore in the mouth that won’t heal, coughing up blood and pain when swallowing.
The power of support in Michaels’ cancer fight
After his diagnosis, Michaels and his wife discussed a treatment plan with the doctor.
“He started by saying, ‘I have good news and bad news. The good news was that we can treat your cancer, with surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. The bad news is that it will be tough,’” Michaels said. “That was hard to process.”
As Michaels started treatment, he was concerned about how it may affect his ability to pursue music.
“That worried me, as music was so much a part of my life,” he said.
Michaels faced both physical and emotional challenges during his treatment, reaching a point where he almost wanted to give up.
However, his wife refused to let him. She inspired him to remain strong and encouraged him to accept help during this difficult time. Even his therapist advised him: “Let the people who love you, love you.” Those words taught Michaels to accept support from his neighbors, friends and family.
“My support group were the real heroes in this experience,” he said.
While others handled life’s daily tasks for him, such as sending meals, mowing the lawn, helping with chores and transportation to appointments, Michaels focused on fighting this disease.
These acts of kindness got him through his toughest days, allowing him to recover and channel his emotions into music, even writing a song to reflect on his cancer experience.
Strengthening our commitment to patients with cancer
Stories of support, like Michaels’, underscore why patients are our inspiration as we continue to pursue the fight against cancer. His journey is an important reminder to turn to a supportive network during trying times.
“The most rewarding part was the overwhelming love shown by my family, friends and strangers,” he said. “Trust in the care and fight when they tell you to fight.”
How collaboration can help enable early detection of lung cancer
Learn about our work with the American Cancer Society
February 18, 2026
Through our Mission Lung Cancer initiative, we’re bringing together our efforts to break down barriers that stand in the way of early lung cancer detection. Our approach is rooted in strategic collaboration, scientific insights and innovative technology.
One program that’s part of Mission Lung Cancer is the American Cancer Society’s Get Screened initiative. Since 2020, we’ve worked with the ACS to help advance early detection for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers through Get Screened.
In 2024, our involvement in this collaboration expanded to include a focus on early detection of lung cancer. Through this initiative, Merck supports the ACS’s efforts to provide screening navigation services, mobile screening units and access to free or low-cost screening options for eligible people* who are uninsured or underinsured.
“Together with the American Cancer Society, we’re focused on supporting initiatives that elevate the importance of early lung cancer detection and helping eligible individuals get access to screening. We’re proud to support efforts to raise awareness around this disease that impacts millions of people each year.”
Josette Gbemudu Associate vice president, patient health innovation
The Get Screened campaign is already making an impact, with more than 362,400 additional breast, cervical, colorectal and lung cancer screenings conducted. The ACS also aims to raise $30 million to further expand access through outreach, technology and infrastructure.
We joined the Get Screened campaign to help increase cancer screening rates in the U.S., and recently focused specifically on lung cancer, as it’s the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide.**
However, in the U.S., only 18.2% of those eligible underwent lung cancer screening in 2022. Alongside screenings, knowing the signs and symptoms of cancer can potentially help increase the chance of finding the disease before it spreads.
“This work highlights the power of collaboration between advocacy and industry. Together, we’re helping to build a path for the future where every person at risk receives timely information and resources, empowering them to lead healthier lives.”
Shane Jacobson CEO, American Cancer Society
Our collaboration with the ACS is one of several initiatives under Mission Lung Cancer, all to advance our mission to help enable early detection of lung cancer to help ensure patients get timely care.
How wearable technology powers patient-focused drug development
Our scientists are exploring the use of sensor-based technologies and digital clinical measures to improve disease understanding
February 10, 2026
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Sensor-based digital technologies like smartwatches and other wearables have surged in popularity in recent years. People are easily and conveniently tracking physical activity, sleep and other health-related data — including information that’s helpful for scientists developing new medicines.
At Merck, scientists in our digital clinical measures group are using these sensor-based tools in clinical trials to collect objective measurements which were previously difficult or impossible to obtain. Now, measurements from patients outside the clinic, including at home and work, can provide data that’s more reflective of their everyday lives — deepening our understanding of disease and enabling more efficient and patient-centric drug development.
What are digital clinical measures, and why do we use them?
Digital clinical measures are specific, objective measures of biology, health, behavior or treatment response that are generated via sensor signals from digital technologies processed with algorithms. These measures can be derived from data collected during active task-based assessments, such as timed walk or hand-turning tests performed with wearable sensors, or through passive monitoring, where data are captured continuously as part of everyday activities like walking or sleeping.
Unlike some traditional clinical study endpoints that require lengthy in-clinic exams or patients or caregivers to remember symptoms over days or weeks, sensor-based technologies can objectively and remotely track metrics of health, behavior and treatment response over time. They can also provide more precise measures compared to traditional clinical rating scales.
“Digital clinical measures can augment traditional study endpoints and allow us to collect richer, more frequent data that better reflect how patients live and function day to day.”
Marissa Dockendorf, Ph.D. Head of digital clinical measures
“In addition to using digital health technologies — or DHTs — to enhance the data we capture in clinical trials, we’re focused on developing more objective and precise measures from these technologies,” added Dockendorf. “These advancements can enable us to understand more quickly, or with fewer clinical trial participants, whether our drug candidates are working, which ultimately can support our ability to deliver medicines to patients faster.”
Collaborating to advance the field of digital measures
We’re working with partners including the Critical Path for Parkinson’s Consortia, the Digital Medicine Society, the University of Oxford and Koneksa Health to advance development of digital clinical measures. These collaborations focus on furthering the digital endpoint field as well as identifying promising digital measures that may improve how we assess disease progression in patients with Parkinson’s disease and, potentially, how we evaluate the efficacy of investigational therapies.
“Digital endpoints hold tremendous promise to transform how we measure and understand health in clinical research,” said Dockendorf. “To fully realize that promise, collaboration is essential as we lay the important groundwork needed to develop measures that are valid, reliable and capable of making a meaningful impact in drug development.”
Digital clinical measures in action in Parkinson's disease
Our researchers are exploring the use of digital health technologies to measure motor function in clinical trials for Parkinson’s disease. Wearable sensor arrays — devices equipped with multiple sensors worn on the body to capture comprehensive data — can provide a wide range of motor function measures, such as gait and turn speed. Collecting data from these technologies over time may provide a clearer understanding of how motor function changes over time and with treatment as compared to traditional endpoints based on categorical rating scales.
Merck’s (NYSE: MRK) Q4 and full-year 2025 sales performance reflects strength across oncology and animal health, as well as increasing contributions from new launches. Our company announced Q4 worldwide sales of $16.4 billion. Full-year 2025 worldwide sales were $65.0 billion.
“In 2025, we continued to advance leading-edge science to deliver transformative medicines and vaccines that are improving health outcomes for patients around the world,” said Rob Davis, chairman and CEO. “Our business benefited from demand for our innovative portfolio, including for KEYTRUDA, increasing contributions from new launches in cardiometabolic and respiratory as well as vaccines, and strong performance of Animal Health. The transformation of our portfolio, bolstered by the acquisitions of Verona Pharma and Cidara Therapeutics, is well underway, and momentum is building as we continue to execute on our strategy. Our progress positions us to continue delivering on our purpose for patients and creating durable value for shareholders.”
Merck anticipates full-year 2026 worldwide sales to be between $65.5 billion and $67.0 billion.
5 ways we’re transforming artificial intelligence into impact
We’re applying AI across our company to help us work smarter and faster so we can reach patients sooner
January 9, 2026
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At Merck, we’re in the business of knowledge, insights and innovation — rooted in intelligence.
Today, artificial intelligence (AI) — or what could also be “automated”, “accelerated” or “augmented” intelligence — lies not only in software and computer systems, but in the data, development and delivery of these intelligent tools to achieve better outcomes for patients.
Here are five ways we’re using AI to drive our purpose of saving and improving lives around the world.
01.
Accelerating the discovery of new medicines
Drug discovery remains an endeavor where only about 1 in 10 drug candidates that enter clinical trials ultimately receive regulatory approval. We’re working to change that by enabling scientists to use AI and machine learning (ML) foundation models to enhance and build upon their existing approaches to drug design before experimental testing and clinical trials.
We recently developed two foundation models which uncover patterns in disease to find better drug targets, allow faster molecular design and rapidly test small molecules, including cyclic peptides, for efficacy and toxicity before going into the clinic.
By unlocking patterns within vast datasets, these AI models enable our scientists to accelerate the discovery of leading therapeutic candidates — a process that normally takes 10 years — allowing us to potentially get therapies to patients faster without compromising scientific rigor.
02.
Optimizing clinical trials
Enrolling people in clinical trials and keeping them engaged once they’ve signed up remains a significant challenge across our industry, with approximately 20% of activated sites failing to enroll a single participant. We’re addressing this by using AI to help improve site selection, patient matching and retention. For example, predictive models can flag patients at higher risk of dropping out, enabling targeted interventions that improve retention and keep trials on track.
03.
Automating workflows to improve productivity
Our enterprise-wide training program helps employees understand the latest digital technology, including generative and agentic AI, and learn how to use it responsibly. Our proprietary AI platform — which more than 80% of our workforce uses — applies large language models to enable employees to automate, simplify and digitize processes that historically took more time, freeing us up to prioritize more impactful work.
04.
Modernizing manufacturing
Generative AI helps protect our supply chain when potentially disruptive events like natural disasters or port delays occur. Our systems can produce event-based risk assessments in under 30 minutes — allowing us to quickly see which products and sites are affected and act to avoid or reduce shortages and delays.
In vaccine manufacturing, we’re using computer vision — another form of AI — to inspect vials and syringes for defects. This results in less waste, lower costs and higher production speed.
05.
Streamlining education and engagement with health care providers
We’re using AI to streamline information for providers and patients to ensure we deliver the right details to the right people when it matters most.
We’ve embedded AI across the content life cycle — from conception through medical, legal and regulatory review — so that we can organize messages more intelligently. The result: higher quality, personalized content that gets to health care providers faster.
Supporting this is our generative AI-powered chatbot for our field representatives. It summarizes relevant insights and helps us respond in real time to provider needs.
It all starts with data
Data powers AI. We have a vast repository of proprietary and secure data, but for it to be usable, it must first be structured and organized.
We’re continuously working to create a frictionless data flow so AI can reliably and accurately drive faster, more targeted and personalized outcomes.
Data is critical to our business strategy and to our pipeline. When our data is high-quality, well-manicured and organized to support powerful insights, we can make more accurate and intelligent predictions — and move faster to deliver the medicines and vaccines patients are waiting for.
Diagnosing cancer early, before it has spread, may potentially lead to better outcomes
December 10, 2025
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Time is important with a cancer diagnosis. People with cancer may have the opportunity for better outcomes when the disease is detected early. And with increases in routine cancer screening (e.g., mammograms, colonoscopies, lung cancer screenings, Pap smears, etc.), more cancer cases can be diagnosed before metastasis — before the disease has spread to other parts of the body.
“We’ve seen incredible progress in the fight against cancer in recent decades, driven by advances in early detection and the availability of new treatment options,” said Dr. Gregory Lubiniecki, vice president, oncology clinical research. “This progress makes me optimistic for a future where cancer is detected and treated as early as possible, giving patients the greatest chance to live cancer-free. We can’t rest now — I’m hopeful that we’ll continue to build on what we’ve learned about helping people with earlier stages of disease.”
But important work remains to continue to improve care and diagnose cancer early.
What is early-stage cancer?
After someone is diagnosed with cancer, doctors will try to figure out how much cancer is in the body and if their disease has spread — this process is called staging, which can help guide treatment decisions. Different cancer stages have different treatments and possible outcomes, and they’re associated with different odds of recurrence.
The stages of cancer
Stage 0: Cancer is localized to where it started.
Stage 1: Cancer has not grown deeply into nearby tissues.
Stage 2 and 3: Cancer has grown more deeply into nearby tissues and may involve lymph nodes, but has not spread to distant parts of the body.
Stage 4: Tumor cells have spread to other organs or distant parts of the body.
Early-stage is a term that can be used to describe cancer that’s early in its growth, before it has spread to other parts of the body. However, each person’s experience with cancer is unique, and what doctors may define as early-stage can vary by the type of cancer.
When cancer is diagnosed, the goals of treatments are to slow, stop and possibly eliminate tumor growth.
Treatment may be more likely to be successful if it’s started before the cancer has spread, when surgery is a potential option. However, even after surgery, there’s a risk that the cancer may spread to other parts of the body. Additional treatment may help lower that risk. In certain instances, other treatment options can be used before surgery (neoadjuvant) to help to reduce the size of the tumor, and/or after surgery (adjuvant) to lower the chance of the cancer from potentially coming back.
Detecting and treating cancer early may help reduce the risk of recurrence and increase the potential for survival.
Exploring the potential use of PET tracers in neurodegenerative disease research
Merck scientists are researching the potential of an investigational alpha-synuclein PET tracer in early identification of Parkinson’s disease
December 9, 2025
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Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease caused by the loss of certain brain cells that are involved with the control of movement. Globally, the prevalence of Parkinson’s has doubled in the past 25 years with global estimates in 2019 showing over 8.5 million individuals living with PD. Most patients with Parkinson’s are diagnosed after experiencing worsening symptoms such as tremors, slow movements and gait abnormalities.
Unfortunately, by the time symptoms become apparent, a large proportion of affected brain cells have already been irreversibly damaged, making therapeutic intervention difficult. Researchers at Merck, along with the broader scientific community, are focused on exploring new ways to identify people with PD earlier in the course of their disease and to measure changes in disease progression.
Alpha-synuclein: A biomarker for Parkinson’s disease
Research evaluating the brains of people with PD has shown that abnormal clumps of a protein called alpha-synuclein form as the disease progresses. Historically, the only way to evaluate the accumulation of alpha-synuclein is by analyzing brain tissue collected after a person dies.
Our scientists then asked: What if there was a way to detect the first signs of these abnormal protein deposits in the brain as a potential way to identify the early signs of PD before symptoms appear? Could we then also evaluate the potential of investigational therapies to slow disease progression?
Exploring noninvasive early detection for neurodegenerative disease
Advanced imaging technologies have helped evolve our understanding of neurodegenerative diseases, in some instances leading to a better understanding of the disease and potential therapeutic options.
In PD, similar imaging techniques offer the potential of early detection and the ability to monitor disease progression. A PET tracer may offer a noninvasive method of detecting alpha-synuclein.
Our scientists are working to evaluate the potential of a PET tracer as a noninvasive way to visualize and measure alpha-synuclein, with the hope that it could lead to earlier detections of Parkinson’s disease.
“A selective PET tracer for alpha-synuclein could have a significant impact on ongoing research by providing a window into what’s happening in the brain in real time,” said Dr. Eric D. Hostetler, executive director and head of translational imaging biomarkers at Merck. “We see the potential for an advanced imaging tool that could contribute to the development of novel treatments by potentially making it easier and more effective to test whether an investigational therapy that targets alpha-synuclein in the brain is working in clinical trials.”
Our research in this area was recognized by the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research Ken Griffin Alpha-synuclein Imaging Competition in 2023, and our scientists are continuing important research in multiple investigational PET tracers in the central nervous system space.
“We’re evaluating the potential of this investigational PET tracer to serve as a biomarker to measure disease progression and determine whether investigational therapies are able to slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease,” said Dr. Jason Uslaner, vice president and head of neuroscience discovery at Merck. “It’s all about identifying the right patient at the right time for the right medicine.”
Building trust and advancing inclusion: Our approach to clinical trials in Uganda
In Uganda, where women are disproportionately impacted by HIV, our community-based research prioritizes meeting patients where they are
November 24, 2025
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Rebeca Plank, M.D., Ph.D. (right) and Joan Nabawanuka, community liaison officer at MU-JHU Care Ltd., meet with Kibuuka Yahaya Galabuzi, local leader of Katiko Fishing Village in the Mityana district.
In sub-Saharan Africa, young women are three times more likely than young men to be living with HIV. Now, Merck researchers are part of a coalition of community leaders, academic organizations and NGOs working in Uganda to help ensure that clinical trials for investigational HIV medicines are designed to address this disparity — and to reflect real-world challenges in local communities. By focusing on local voices and expertise, the coalition aims to build trust, improve trial design, address barriers to study participation and engage directly with the community.
To learn more about how these efforts have shaped our HIV clinical trials in Uganda, we chatted with two members of our on-the-ground research team: Ian Bradley-Perrin, Ph.D., and Rebeca Plank, M.D., MPH.
Why is inclusion important in HIV clinical trials?
Plank: People may respond differently to the same medicine based on factors like age, gender, weight or ethnicity. By prioritizing inclusivity in HIV clinical trials, our goal is to develop treatment and prevention options that work for all people affected by HIV.
Why is it important to include women in HIV clinical research, especially in countries like Uganda?
Bradley-Perrin: Cultural expectations, gender roles and the still-too-common stigma surrounding HIV and sexual health can make it difficult for women in Uganda to take part in HIV prevention trials. Historically, women’s underrepresentation in these prevention clinical trials limited our field’s understanding of how these medicines work specifically for them.
Plank: We’ve made an effort to expand our HIV prevention clinical trials to include pregnant and breastfeeding women because there are limited late-stage data and safety information in those populations. So, it’s important to move in that direction of greater inclusivity in our trials with the goal of driving the research and development of investigational medications to make sure there are options women can access regardless of their plans for pregnancy. Today, many health care providers may be reluctant to prescribe medicines that have not been studied in pregnant and/or lactating women, and pregnant and/or lactating women may be reluctant to take these medicines.
What’s the role of local communities in HIV prevention clinical trials?
Bradley-Perrin: We’ve learned that strong collaboration is essential — and it’s been a real two-way learning process. Partners like the University of Washington’s International Clinical Research Center bring long standing experience running clinical trials in sub-Saharan Africa, and the Gates Foundation is providing strategic partnership and financial support for the operational needs of each clinical research site, including things like experienced research staff, upgraded facilities, and help building new clinics. Equally important is the Global Community Advisory Group: HIV prevention advocates with a country and global perspective who give critical input on trial design, recruitment materials and will advise on study operations throughout the trial. They give us honest feedback about community concerns and help keep us accountable and connected to people’s real lives and priorities.
For example, in Mityana, a rural district west of Kampala, our team collaborated with community leaders to support a local engagement strategy that helped identify locations where women have historically had trouble accessing HIV clinical trials, like fishing villages and gold mining communities.
Plank: By going out to a gold mine that was two hours from the clinic, I better understood the complexities of reaching this community, especially over the duration of a multi-year clinical trial. Transportation was a huge barrier that needed to be addressed to make sure women wouldn’t be hindered from participating because of where they lived or their access to transportation.
What are some other ways Merck is supporting clinical trial participants?
Bradley-Perrin: Along with transportation, we prioritized support services such as child care and, when needed, home visits to help women participate in the trials.
Plank: Thanks to the Gates Foundation, ICRC and our other partners on the ground, the clinical trial team has trained local staff, updated facilities and even helped to construct new research clinics that could be used for new research projects. These practical solutions aim to increase trial participation in geographies that need innovations the most and help address some of the practical challenges participants face.
Plank and Bradley-Perrin walk with Flavia Matovu Kiweewa, MBChB, Ph.D., principal investigator of MU-JHU Care Ltd.
Cyrus Badshah, M.D., Ph.D, Merck senior principal scientist and Joyce Matovu, site hospital liaison coordinator at MU-JHU Care Ltd., tour the Namulanda Mukikadde gold mine community in the Mityana district.
A view of Namulanda Mukikadde gold mine area in the Mityana district of Uganda, where innovative clinical trials for HIV are taking place.
Godfrey Ssaka, laboratory manager at MU-JHU Care Ltd., shows Susan Vaz, a clinical research manager at our company, around the lab.
Merck’s community-based research in Uganda prioritizes fostering trust and creating conditions to encourage inclusive trial participation.
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