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.

AIBILI CERTIFIED ACTIVITIES (BY ISO 9001)
  • Performance of clinical studies
  • Planning, coordination, monitoring of clinical research activities
  • Health technology assessment
  • 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 ORGANIZED IN
CENTRE RESEARCH
  • Coimbra Coordinating Centre for Clinical Research (4C)
  • Clinical Trial Centre (CEC)
  • Centre for New Technologies in Medicine (CNTM)
  • Coimbra Ophthalmology Reading Centre (CORC)
ORGANIZATIONAL SERVICES
  • Administrative Services (SA)
  • Quality Management Unit (UGQ)
  • Translational Research and Technology Transfer Unit (UTT)
  • Information Technology Unit (IT)
  • Data Centre (DC).
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
    • Universidade de Coimbra
    • FLAD - Fundação Luso-Americana para o Desenvolvimento
    • Fundação Champalimaud
    • 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 - Politécnico do Porto
    • Conceição Lobo, President
    • António Parreira (Rep. Fundação Champalimaud), Vice President
    • Nuno Pires (Rep. BIAL - Portela & Cª, SA)
    • Gonçalo Pimpão (Rep. Laboratórios EDOL - Produtos Farmacêuticos, S.A.)
    • Maria Margarida Martins Gonçalo (Rep. Serviço de Dermatologia do Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra)
    • António Cotta (Rep. José Cotta - EMS, Lda)
    • Cecília Martinho, CEO
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.

EVICR.net has a Coordinating Centre, AIBILI, who is responsible for the management of the Network, coordination of multinational clinical research studies as well as developing training activities.

The EVICR.net is a network of European Ophthalmological Clinical Research Centres, dedicated to perform multinational clinical research in ophthalmology with the highest standards of quality, following the European and International Directives for Clinical Research according to harmonized SOPs.

Health Cluster Portugal http://www.healthportugal.com/

AIBILI is member of the Health Cluster Portugal (HCP) whose main objective is the promotion and implementation of initiatives and activities leading to the consolidation of a national cluster for competitiveness, innovation and technology in the health area. More information: www.healthportugal.com

AIBILI is a Center of Technology and Innovation (CTI) in the Health Sector of the National Technology Network. This recognition identifies AIBILI as the technology transfer centre acting as the facilitating partner between scientific institutions, enterprises and industry in order to bring novel products to the market.

More information: https://www.ani.pt/pt/valorizacao-do-conhecimento/interface/cti-centros-de-tecnologia-e-inova%C3%A7%C3%A3o/

EATRIS is a client driven, non-profit organization comprising European academic centers of excellence in translational research. EATRIS partner institutes support in bringing innovative ideas for novel preventive, diagnostic or therapeutic products towards first in human application and on to clinical proof of concept. EATRIS partner institutes provide services and expertise in the following areas: Advanced therapy medicinal products and biologics; Biomarkers; Imaging and tracing; Small molecules; and Vaccines.

AIBILI, with capacities for the Biomarkers and Imaging platforms, is a member of this European Network.

ECRIN-ERIC is a network dedicated to improving the health of patients and citizens across the world through clinical research. ECRIN-ERIC supports multinational collaboration in clinical research, acting through correspondents hosted in national clinical research hubs and networks. ECRIN is based on the connection of coordinating centres for national networks of clinical research centres and clinical trials units, able to provide support and services to multinational clinical research.

AIBILI, as Coordinating Centre of EVICR.net, a disease oriented network in ophthalmology for clinical research, is an Affiliate Partner of ECRIN-ERIC. Thus, EVICR.net serves as a resource to ECRIN-ERIC in the area of vision and ophthalmology multinational clinical research, particularly by providing scientific and medical expertise, access to patients and research capacity.

PtCRIN (www.ptcrin.pt) is the national clinical research network aiming to facilitate and improve quality in clinical research and to increase national and international research collaboration for the benefit of patients, citizens and the healthcare system. PtCRIN is the Portuguese member of ECRIN-ERIC.

AIBILI is a founding member of the PtCRIN and it is a Clinical Trial Unit and a Clinical Research Centre. AIBILI has the only ECRIN Certified Data Centre since 2016 in Portugal.

Health Administration of the Centre Region of Portugal (ARSC) regulates the organization and functioning of healthcare institutions and services in the Centre Region of Portugal.

The Protocol between AIBILI and ARSC is of great relevance as the area of primary healthcare is a major research interest of AIBILI as screening and prevention are priorities for AIBILI research particularly in imaging diagnostics.

Since 2011, AIBILI-CORC is the Reading Centre for fundus images of Screening Programme for Diabetic Retinopathy in the Centre Region of Portugal.

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.

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.

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, 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.

José de Mello Saúde – Hospital CUF Coimbra https://www.saudecuf.pt/unidades/coimbra

The CUF Coimbra Hospital provides access to excellent health services, both inpatient and outpatient with a comprehensive and innovative offer in diverse medical-surgical areas in terms of the technology used and its processes.

The partnership between AIBILI and CUF Coimbra Hospital has as main goal the coordination and promotion of clinical research facilitating the exchange of scientific and technical knowledge.

P-BIO is the only association that brings together the vast majority of companies linked to the biotechnology and life sciences sector. P-BIO seeks to develop an environment that is favourable to the creation and growth of start-ups, promoting their corporate development domestically and internationally.

The partnership with AIBILI allows P-BIO companies to have access to differentiated support to evaluate the economic viability of medicines, value strategy design, regulation and translation of technology, market access and effectiveness after commercialization as well as to the coordination and overall management of clinical research studies.

CONTACTS

AIBILI
Edifício Prof. Doutor José Cunha-Vaz
Azinhaga Sta. Comba, Celas
3000-548 Coimbra
Portugal

Portugal Geographical coordinates:
40º 13' 06,24" N
8º 24' 54,83" O

Telephone: +351 239 480100
Fax: +351 239 480117

mail: