2025 Global Access Fellowship with Med Aditus International
Calla Lily Clinical Care, Med Aditus, Roivant Sciences, and Roivant Social Ventures (RSV) have partnered to host the Access to Medicines Internship and Fellowship Program, providing real-world drug development experience to talented PharmD students who are passionate about leveraging their career development to expand healthcare access to underserved patient groups.
Med Aditus is a nonprofit start-up dedicated to increasing medicine access in sub-Saharan Africa. Med Aditus Pharmaceuticals Kenya is a branch that will be a manufacturing company based in Kisumu, Kenya, focused on producing high-quality and affordable medications.
This summer Hunter Zell served as Roivant Social Ventures' Global Access Fellow, where she volunteered with Med Aditus to support engagement with panels of Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and other metabolic disorders, and cancer. This project was designed to inform Med Aditus Pharmaceuticals’ strategy for selection of the first portfolio of medicines and pharmaceutical formulations to be introduced in Kenyan and East African markets. Key work included:
Organizing and conducting two live KOL panels in Nairobi, Kenya and a third virtual KOL panel.
Creating a comprehensive briefing material for KOLs.
Participating in the KOL sessions firsthand to learn directly from top physicians about the importance of localized expertise in global health decision-making.
Compiling and synthesizing key insights from each session to inform selection of medications and formulations for market introduction by Med Aditus Pharmaceuticals and Med Aditus Kenya.
We sat down with Hunter to learn more about her accomplishments to date, what personally drives her work, and how her summer internship will impact her career development.
What caught your interest about the Global Access Fellowship that you worked on this summer?
"I came into this fellowship passionate about improving access to medications worldwide. Med Aditus’ approach to expanding healthcare access includes leveraging technology, local manufacturing, and expert collaboration to close medication access gaps. Their mission resonated deeply with me. Growing up with an awareness of the systemic barriers many patients face, I’ve long been drawn to work that bridges clinical needs with scalable, community-driven strategies."
What were some of your favorite experiences from your Global Access Fellowship this summer?
"Over the course of two months, I had the opportunity to support Med Aditus’ work by preparing and facilitating engagements with leading physicians and healthcare experts. I helped organize and participate in panels of Key Opinion Leaders in therapeutic areas such as cardiology and diabetes, gathering insights on medication needs, treatment guidelines, and barriers to access. I also contributed to briefing materials and synthesized findings from these discussions to inform Med Aditus’ ongoing product selection and development strategy."
"What made this experience particularly meaningful was the opportunity to collaborate closely with Kenyan clinicians in person during my trip to Kenya."
"Their perspectives were not only insightful but grounded in deep commitment to their patients. They emphasized the importance of creating high-quality and affordable medications, while also facilitating systems of trust, transparency, and responsiveness that empower local patients and providers."
What impact do you feel your Global Access Fellowship has had on your career goals as a PharmD?
"This experience was deeply formative both professionally and personally. My time with Med Aditus and RSV has left a lasting impact on my understanding of healthcare innovation and equity. This internship pushed me to grow in new ways. I have improved as a communicator, a listener, and a future leader in global health. It sharpened my skills in stakeholder engagement, strategic analysis, and cross-cultural collaboration. Just as importantly, it reaffirmed my commitment to pursuing a career that sits at the intersection of access, innovation, and global equity.”
Med Aditus International, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation with a mission to improve access to affordable quality medicines for patients in sub-Saharan Africa. Founded in North Carolina, Med Aditus is deploying in Africa cutting-edge technologies such as portable continuous modular manufacturing and blockchain-powered digital quality management systems. In addition, Med Aditus seeks to contribute to the long-term growth and sustainability of the pharmaceutical industry by expanding workforce capacity, and reducing the pervasiveness of counterfeit and substandard medicines.
Access to Medicines Internship/Fellowship Program
During the Spring 2025 semester the 2025 Access to Medicines PharmD Interns and Fellows all completed "Making Medicines" at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, the top ranked School of Pharmacy in the United States. This innovative course was designed to introduce PharmD students to the new drug approval process and key issues in drug discovery, pre-clinical testing, clinical trials, FDA approval, and global access to medicines.