OIC- COMSTECH, Al-Shifa Trust bring together regulators, clinicians and researchers ahead of international conference

ISLAMABAD, NOV 10 /DNA/ – Scientists, clinicians and regulators on Tuesday called for stronger clinical research institutions, better regulatory coordination and greater investment in professional capacity to help Pakistan and other OIC member states play a larger role in global medical research.

They were speaking at a pre-conference on “Strengthening Clinical Research Capacity and Innovation in Pakistan and Across OIC Member States,” jointly organised by OIC-COMSTECH and Al-Shifa Trust at the COMSTECH Secretariat.

More than 150 participants attended in person and around 100 joined online. International experts from Senegal, Malaysia and Canada participated physically, while speakers from Iran and Ethiopia joined remotely.

Addressing the inaugural session, Coordinator General OIC-COMSTECH Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary said scientific advances were rapidly reshaping healthcare, but the challenge was to translate them into practical solutions for prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

He said many OIC countries still faced gaps in research infrastructure, funding and trained professionals, leaving their populations underrepresented in global clinical studies.

“Member states must move beyond being consumers of medical technologies and become active contributors to their development and clinical validation,” he said.

Prof. Choudhary said COMSTECH was supporting clinical research capacity through training, fellowships, institutional partnerships and scientific cooperation across the 57 OIC member states. He cited specialised programmes in clinical research, biomedical sciences and infectious diseases in Pakistan and several other member countries.

Maj Gen (Retd.) Rehmat Khan, President Al-Shifa Trust, said the scale of national and international participation showed growing interest in clinical research partnerships. He stressed closer cooperation among hospitals, universities, regulators and research institutions.

Chief guest Dr. Obaidullah, Chief Executive Officer of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP),said Pakistan had the medical workforce and research potential needed to expand clinical research, but stronger coordination was required among regulators, hospitals, universities and researchers. He appreciated COMSTECH for bringing key stakeholders together and said improvements in the clinical trial regulatory framework had created a stronger basis for quality research.

The scientific sessions covered vaccine development, biomedical research, respiratory health, cell therapy, artificial intelligence-enabled translational research, clinical trial infrastructure, oncology and advanced therapies.

Experts from Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Royan Institute and Pasteur Institute of Iran, Addis Ababa University, Dow University of Health Sciences, Indus Hospital & Health Network, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and ICCBS, University of Karachi, were among the speakers.

The first session focused on emerging innovations in clinical research, drug discovery and advanced therapies while the second examined the future of clinical trials, research infrastructure and global collaboration۔

Panel discussions also addressed regulatory challenges, quality standards, research management and ways to strengthen Pakistan’s clinical trial ecosystem.

The pre-conference concluded with recommendations on strengthening clinical research infrastructure and professional capacity.

The main international conference will be held on Nov 11 at Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, with national and international experts discussing clinical research, innovation, advanced therapies and healthcare cooperation.