PUTRAJAYA, May 20 (Bernama) -- The clinical research community in Malaysia celebrated Clinical Trials Day together with the rest of the world. This year, the celebration was done at a smaller scale to conform to social distancing and to avoid large gatherings amid the current COVID-19 outbreak. International Clinical Trials Day is celebrated around the world on May 20 every year to recognize the people who conduct clinical trials as well as the volunteers and patients who participate in it.

Clinical Trials Day has always been part of Clinical Research Malaysia’s (CRM) ongoing effort in creating awareness among the general public, patients as well as healthcare professionals that contribute to the development of better innovative treatments in the medical field.

To acknowledge the contribution of medical professionals in sponsored clinical research, a small presentation ceremony was held at the Ministry of Health complex in Putrajaya. The Minister of Health, YB Dato’ Sri Dr. Adham bin Baba, who is also the Chairman of CRM’s Board of Directors, presented the CRM Sponsored Research Award to five recipients in recognition of their significant contribution in clinical research, as well as to spur and encourage more of such efforts.

Clinicians who received the award include Dr. Voon Pei Jye (Medical Oncologist) from Hospital Umum Sarawak and Dr. Lily Wong (Haematologist) from Hospital Queen Elizabeth for contributing towards clinical trial patient recruitment and high numbers of new clinical trial uptake respectively. Hospital Sultan Ismail was recognized as the Clinical Trial Site of the Year for its significant growth in the number of sponsored research in 2019. Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD), a multinational pharmaceutical company received Sponsor of the Year award for the highest number of new trials as well as highest cumulative study value in 2019, while IQVIA Malaysia received CRO of the Year award for the highest number of new clinical trial and trial sites initiated in 2019.

YB Dato’ Sri Dr. Adham stressed the importance of clinical trials to assess the safety and effectiveness of treatments. Malaysia has been a significant contributor in various drug and medical device clinical trials and the latest being the country’s involvement in the WHO Solidarity Trial to test several drugs in treating COVID-19. “Participation in clinical trials provides our patients with treatment options, especially those who have not responded well to the current standard of care or available treatment,” said Dr. Adham.

About Clinical Research Malaysia (CRM)
Established by Malaysian Ministry of Health in 2012, Clinical Research Malaysia exists to advance global health solutions for a brighter, more hopeful future for the people by providing speedy and reliable end-to-end clinical research support for quality studies.
 
Our innate understanding of the local clinical research landscape with the international standards of operations coupled with fundamental backing of the government ministries provide us an incomparable advantage to work with partners from the nascent stages of development to materialisation of the end product, in order to deliver better treatment and high-skilled job opportunities.
 
Award recipients:
 
• Top Recruiter Award: Dr. Voon Pei Jye (Hospital Umum Sarawak) for significant patient recruitment achievement in studies initiated in 2019.
 

• Investigator of the Year Award: Dr Lily Wong Lee Lee (Hospital Queen Elizabeth) for being Principal Investigator to the highest number of new sponsored research in 2019.
 

• Clinical Trial Site of the Year Award: Hospital Sultan Ismail for demonstrating significant growth in the number of studies awarded in 2019.
 

• Sponsor of the Year Award: Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) for the highest number of new trials as well as highest cumulative study value in 2019.
 

• CRO of the Year Award: IQVIA Malaysia for the highest number of new clinical trials and the highest number of trial sites initiated in 2019.