Conversations in Clinical Trial Readiness

Why every clinical trial needs to consider Middle East and African sites: Interview with Ahmed Hamouda

Episode Summary

Ahmed Hamouda joins Kelly Ritch, EVP of Product and Clinical Research Solutions at ArcheMedX, to discuss the opportunity Africa and the Middle East represent for clinical trials right now. A clinical research expert with truly global experience, Ahmed addresses the challenges sponsors face when entering new markets and explains why Africa and the Middle East are worth investing in.

Episode Notes

Ahmed Hamouda

Ahmed Hamouda is the Head of Clinical Operations in the Middle East and Africa at RAY. In more than 10 years in the clinical research field, Ahmed has worked on both the CRO side and the pharmaceutical side in Europe, the Middle East, the Far East, and Africa. 

Ahmed brings the full range of his experience to bear at RAY, which provides outsourcing and consulting services to support pharmaceutical and biotech companies through the clinical trial development process. With RAY, Ahmed leverages his expertise to bring hope and opportunity to patient populations who would not otherwise be reached.

Episode Highlights 

• Why Africa and Middle Eastern markets represent a major opportunity for sponsors
• What regulations and unique requirements sponsors need to understand before moving into these markets
• How the site selection and preparation process is different in these markets as opposed to in the U.S.
• The importance of partnering with qualified regional experts 
• The challenges involved in driving patient participation in these regions
• How one rare disease clinical trial was saved by a move from the U.S. to the Middle East, and how that move paid off in terms of recruitment
• Potential logistical issues with global trials and how RAY manages them
• Why continuous education is so important for sites
• How Ahmed and RAY estimate the timeframe for study startup in a new region
• The unexpected positive regional outcomes of the pandemic 

Resources:

Ray-CRO 
Ahmed Hamouda on LinkedIn
Conversations in Clinical Trial Readiness Interview Series