The first clinical trial in Nigeria to test immunotherapy for colorectal cancer has been launched at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex (OAUTH) in Ile Ife, a historic city in Osun State in south west Nigeria.
Under the new initiative, patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer will be enrolled to receive treatment at no cost through OAUTH, the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) in Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city, and Medserve’s Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) Diagnostic Centre in Lagos. Okay News reports that the organisers said the trial is designed to bring advanced cancer treatment options closer to patients who may not be able to afford them.
The programme was formally unveiled on Wednesday, 4 February 2026, at the OAUTH complex in Ile Ife. Speaking at the event, Professor Olusegun Alatise, a Professor of Surgery at the Faculty of Clinical Sciences in the College of Health Sciences at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), said the project was made possible through a collaboration of experts from multiple institutions.
Alatise explained that specialists from OAU worked with colleagues from LUTH and Medserve, as well as Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), a leading cancer hospital and research centre based in New York City, United States. He said the researchers are studying a form of immunotherapy known as programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) blockade, focusing on patients whose colorectal cancer is mismatch repair deficient, a genetic feature that can influence how cancers respond to certain treatments.
He described the study as the first clinical trial in sub Saharan Africa to use immunotherapy, a treatment approach that helps the body’s immune system recognise and attack cancer cells. He also said colorectal cancer is becoming a bigger health challenge in Nigeria, noting that fewer than half of patients survive one year after diagnosis.
Alatise, who also serves as National Director of the African Research Group for Oncology (ARGO) and is a Consultant General Surgeon at OAUTH, said the trial has received regulatory clearance from the National Health Research Ethics Committee (NHREC), Nigeria’s body responsible for ensuring health research meets ethical and global standards, as well as the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Nigeria’s drug and food regulator.
“The approval of this trial marks an important milestone in the fight against colorectal cancer in Nigeria. Our research could provide vital insights into novel treatment strategies, particularly for patients with limited therapeutic options due to genetic mutations,” he said.
He added that the trial is a global effort involving Obafemi Awolowo University, Lagos University Teaching Hospital and Medserve in Nigeria, alongside Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in the United States. He said MSK is serving as the study sponsor and data coordinating centre, with its investigators working closely with the Nigerian teams on the research.
According to him, BeOne Medicines will provide and distribute the immunotherapy drug, tislelizumab, while BioVentures for Global Health will support the regulatory approval process in Nigeria.
“We are proud to be part of this groundbreaking trial that brings cutting edge immunotherapy closer to Nigerian patients with colorectal cancer. This collaboration demonstrates our commitment to advancing cancer care and ensuring that our patients benefit from the very best of global research,” Alatise said.
With the start of the study, he urged people living with colorectal cancer to visit OAUTH, LUTH, or Medserve’s NSIA Diagnostic Centre in Lagos to begin the enrollment process, stressing that qualified patients will receive treatment free of charge under the trial.
The launch was announced during activities marking World Cancer Day, observed globally on Tuesday, 4 February each year, to raise awareness about cancer and promote prevention, early detection, and improved treatment.
