Clinical trials at Sidra Medicine offer hope to children with rare diseases
Published: 19 September 2024
NT Bureau
Doha
Sidra Medicine, a member of Qatar Foundation, aims to transform precision healthcare through clinical trials, offering a new lease of hope to young patients with rare and complex diseases.
The Clinical Trials Program at Sidra Medicine will focus on clinical trials that will benefit children in the Arab region, par-ticularly those with rare diseases that lack effective treatment. This initiative will position Sidra Medicine as a regional leader in clinical research, offering personalized treatment options to children with rare diseases.
Dr. Iyabo Tinubu-Karch, Chief Executive Officer at Sidra Medicine said: “At Sidra Medicine, we are entrusted with the care of Qatar’s most precious resource – its children. Our clinical services in partnership with our research division, has identified a number of critical areas in pediatric health related to rare and genetic diseases. This will help us expand treatment options and redefine what is possible in pediatric medicine. Having a clinical trials program, embodies our commitment towards advancing pediatric healthcare and pioneering new medications and therapies for the benefit of the people in Qatar and the region.”
Clinical trials are the final step of medical research, where new treatments undergo careful evaluation for safety and effectiveness before being made widely available. Everyone who participates in a clinical trial is a volunteer. The trials could offer children the chance to receive beneficial treatment whether it is a new drug, therapy, device or proce-dure—before it becomes widely available.
Prof. Khalid A. Fakhro, Chief Research Officer at Sidra Medicine said: “We are building towards undertaking complex research, including critical Phase 1 through Phase 4 studies, which will establish us as a regional leader in clinical trials. This ambition is built upon years of excellence at diagnostic research where our teams made many fundamental dis-coveries in the cause and origin of diseases in our patients. By becoming a regional leader in clinical trials, we will be able to bring innovative therapies to our patients, offering access to potentially life-changing outcomes to children with rare diseases.”
