New partnership aims to advance clinical research standards, international collaboration and cross-regional research opportunities.
The European CRO Federation (EUCROF) and the Middle East Clinical Research Association (MECRA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen clinical research cooperation across Europe, the Middle East and the Mediterranean region.
MECRA, established in Lebanon in 2008, has developed an international clinical research alliance which reports more than 51 CROs, 20 clinical research units and 1,300 researchers, alongside laboratories and medical societies.²
Through the MOU, EUCROF and MECRA have agreed a framework for cooperation focused on four priorities:
- Joint Technical Webinars: Live sessions addressing AI clinical research implementation and cross-border GDPR/data governance realities.
- Specialized Masterclasses: Hands-on training on AI impact on clinical research optimisation, RWE studies,TMF inspection readiness, and decentralized trial (DCT) tools.
- The Euro-Arab-Mediterranean Clinical Research Summit: Bringing top clinical research stakeholders, and regulatory pioneers together under one roof to unlock synergy and boost trials in main therapeutic areas of mutual importance.
- The Joint Annual Clinical Research Award for the top clinical research where teams are teaming up from both regions
The collaboration brings together EUCROF’s European clinical research network and MECRA’s international alliance, creating opportunities to share expertise, strengthen research capabilities and explore new connections between sponsors, CROs, investigators and research sites.
“I am delighted of this achievement, and I really hope we will take that opportunity to setup a win-win cooperation between our two organizations for the wider benefit of patients and clinical research. Connections between our two regions are already numerous in the health domain, and during the last decade EUCROF has welcomed several partners from Egypt, Algeria and even Pakistan, whilst Turkey is bridging the 2 regions by having a part of its territory included in geographical Europe. And I know that there are numerous collaborations between CROs in Lebanon and other MECRA countries and European providers. Just consider how many millions citizens these two regions represent when together...” – Yoanni Matsakis, President, EUCROF
“We are not sitting in rooms debating abstract concepts while patients wait for clinical trials. This alliance between MECRA and EUCROF is an immediate execution engine. We are launching high-standard technical masterclasses, cross-regional regulatory dialogues, clinical research award and international conferences to train our research stakeholders, align our quality systems to the highest benchmarks, and open real clinical corridors between Europe and our region.” – Dr Nadia Cheaib, President, MECRA
The agreement establishes a non-binding framework for future cooperation, with specific activities to be developed jointly by the two organisations.
About EUCROF
The European CRO Federation (EUCROF) represents the European contract research organisation sector, promoting clinical research quality, professional development, regulatory engagement and international collaboration.
About MECRA
The Middle East Clinical Research Association (MECRA) is an Arab non-governmental association established in 2008 to advance clinical research standards, professional development and international scientific collaboration. Its international alliance includes CROs, research units, investigators and other clinical research stakeholders
