AIBILI-Association for Innovation and Biomedical Research on Light and Image

About Aibili

AIBILI – Association for Innovation and Biomedical Research on Light and Image is a Research Technology Organisation in the health area dedicated to the development and clinical research of new products for medical therapy and diagnostic imaging. It is a private non-profit organisation, founded in 1989, established to support translational research and technology transfer in the health area.

AIBILI is a Technology and Innovation Centre (CTI) in the health area of the National Network of the Economy Ministry. This recognition identifies AIBILI as the facilitating partner between scientific institutions, enterprises and industry in order to bring novel solutions to the health market.

VIEW ORGANISATIONAL CHART

AIBILI CERTIFIED ACTIVITIES (BY ISO 9001)

Performance of clinical studies
Planning, coordination, monitoring of clinical research activities
Pharmacovigilance, Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics
Grading of eye exams
Research and development in new technologies for medicine in the areas of imaging, optics and photobiology
Data centre activities (also Certified by ECRIN)

Clinical trials are performed in accordance with ICH Guidelines for Good Clinical Practice (GCP), European and national applicable legislations and regulations.

AIBILI is located at the Health Campus of Coimbra University since 1994 and has its own building with 15.296 sq. feet and state-of-the-art equipment. Regarding human resources it has a permanent staff of 53 including medical doctors, researchers, engineers, pharmacologists, technicians, trial and project managers, regulatory affairs, trial coordinators and administrative personnel. Another 43 individuals collaborate regularly on a part-time basis involved mainly in research activities.

AIBILI ORGANISED IN

RESEARCH CENTRES

4C - Coimbra Coordinating Centre for Clinical Research
CEC - Clinical Trial Centre
CNTM - Centre for New Technologies in Medicine
CORC - Coimbra Ophthalmology Reading Centre
DC - Data Centre

ORGANISATIONAL UNITS

Administrative Services (SA)
Integrated Management System Unit (USGI)
Translational Research and Technology Transfer Unit (UTT)
Information Technology Unit (IT)

RESEARCH PROGRAMS

Diabetic Retinopathy
Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Imaging Biomarkers
Drug Evaluation
Translational Vision

AIBILI SERVICES

Development and Coordination of Industry-Driven and Investigator Initiated Clinical Trials
Data Centre
Performance of Clinical Studies in ophthalmology and neurology (phase I, II, III and IV)
Development of new technologies – ophthalmology imaging
Reading Centre: Grading of color fundus photographs, OCT images of the retina and functional evaluations of the retina using mfERG
Pharmacovigilance

AIBILI MEMBERS

HONORARY ASSOCIATES
- Universidade de Coimbra
- FLAD - Fundação Luso-Americana para o Desenvolvimento
- Fundação Champalimaud
ASSOCIATES
- IAPMEI - Instituto de Apoio às Pequenas e Médias Empresas e à Inovação
- José Cotta - EMS, S.A.
- José Cunha-Vaz
- Laboratório EDOL - Produtos Farmacêuticos, S.A.
- Biofísica da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Coimbra
- Serviço de Dermatologia dos Hospitais da Universidade de Coimbra
- Farmacologia da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Coimbra
- SUCH - Serviço de Utilização Comum dos Hospitais
- Alcon Portugal - Prod. e Equip. Oftalmológicos, Lda.
- BIAL - Portela & Cª., S.A.
- Centro de Oftalmologia da Universidade de Coimbra
- Conceição Lobo
- Francisco Batel Marques
- Cecília Martinho
- Hospital Cuf Coimbra / José de Mello Saúde
- Laboratórios Pfizer, Lda.
- Novartis Farma, S.A.
- Escola Superior de Saúde (e2s) Politécnico do Porto
BOARD DIRECTORS
- Conceição Lobo, President
- António Parreira (Rep. Fundação Champalimaud), Vice President
- Nuno Pires (Rep. BIAL - Portela & Cª, SA)
- Maria Margarida Martins Gonçalo (Rep. Serviço de Dermatologia do Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra)
- Ana Matos (Rep. Laboratórios EDOL - Produtos Farmacêuticos, S.A.)
- António Cotta (Rep. José Cotta - EMS, Lda)
- Cecília Martinho

PARTNERSHIPS

CHAMPALIMOUD FOUNDATION www.fchampalimaud.org

The Champalimaud Foundation recognized in 2010 AIBILI as one of its C-TRACERs – Champalimaud Translational Centres for Eye Research.

The C-TRACERs focus on translational eye research as it strives to further the knowledge of vision in such a way that it can be readily applied to the patient.The C-TRACER Network is formed by Centres in Portugal, India and Brazil. The India C-TRACER is the L. V. Prasad Eye Institute in Hyderabad and the Brazilian C-TRACER is the Institute for Vision at the Federal University of S. Paulo at S. Paulo.

Ongoing joint research activities bringing together these institutions and the Department of Ophthalmology of the University Hospital of Coimbra are focused on predicting progression of diabetic retinopathy, stem-cell treatment of eye diseases and teleophthalmology and this way translating basic research to clinical research and enhancing the adoption of best practices in the community.

FMUC https://www.uc.pt/en/fmuc

The Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra (FMUC) is one of the most important schools of medicine in Portugal due to its vast research areas. The partnership between AIBILI and FMUC allows AIBILI to coordinate clinical research from FMUC investigators.

iCBR https://www.uc.pt/en/fmuc/icbr

Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), formerly IBILI, is a Multidisciplinary Research Unit from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra (FMUC). Research at iCBR aims to investigate molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of chronic diseases, to identify innovative therapeutic strategies and disease biomarkers, as well as to unveil and implement new approaches to promote the quality of life and wellness.

The partnership between AIBILI and iCBR aim on filling the gaps between Pre-Clinical and Clinical Research, setting the ground for the development of innovative projects, translating basic science into new therapeutic strategies, but also by using human samples to find new biomarkers of disease, disease progression and response to therapy.

i3S https://www.i3s.up.pt/

The i3S consortium, headed by the Porto University, brings together institutions and researchers from several schools of the Porto University. This wide participation of schools, research institutions and hospitals in a research institute is unique in Portugal and is a valuable asset for science and technology development, while creating an environment that feeds real breakthrough research and translation of discoveries into the clinic.

The partnership between AIBILI and i3S will increase the participation in innovation and translational projects as well as to have a more complete and robust value chain for their clients, particularly, for companies.

INFARMED https://www.infarmed.pt/

INFARMED, IP is a Government agency accountable to the Health Ministry, that evaluates, authorises, regulates and controls human medicines as well as health products, namely, medical devices and cosmetics for the protection of Public Health.

AIBILI has a protocol with INFARMED to collaborate in the framework of the national strategy for the development of clinical research in the pharmaceutical sector.

Since 2008 that AIBILI-CHAD has been responsible for a Pharmacovigilance Unit of the National Pharmacovigilance System contracted with INFARMED, IP.

INFOCUS Clinical Research https://www.infocusclinical.com/

INFOCUS is an ophthalmology focused full-service contract research organization (CRO) based in the USA.

AIBILI and INFOCUS are currently providers of ophthalmology clinical research development support services, respectively, in Europe and North America and are organizing themselves to be able to provide a global ophthalmology clinical research support.