Participating in Clinical Research is a Right for Patients
19.09.2025
The event titled “Enhancing Access and Quality in Clinical Research,” organized in collaboration between AIFD and Memorial Hospital, was held in Ankara on May 20th, Clinical Trials Day.
Operating with the objective to enhance access to innovative medicines and treatments in Türkiye and to increase Türkiye’s global competitiveness in pharmaceutical research and development (R&D), AIFD organized an event titled “Enhancing Access and Quality in Clinical Research” on May 20th, Clinical Trials Day, with the participation of all stakeholders.
The event held in Ankara brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including representatives from the public sector, academia, healthcare, patient advocacy groups, and the pharmaceutical industry. Throughout the full-day event, esteemed speakers representing various stakeholders took the stage in panels titled: “Challenges and Solution Proposals Regarding Regulation and Ethics in Clinical Research in Our Country”, “Volunteer Participation and Retention of Volunteers in Clinical Research, “Communication and Cultural Barriers”, “Quality Control and Reporting in Clinical Research” and “Future Planning and Actions to be Taken in Clinical Research”.
The event began with opening speeches by Prof. Dr. Ümit Kervan, President of TÜSEB; Dr. Pharmacist Nihan Burul Bozkurt, Health Policies Director at AIFD; and Bora Uludüz, CEO of Memorial Health Group. During the meeting, steps that could advance Türkiye in clinical research—which constitutes a major part of R&D, the most fundamental component of the pharmaceutical value chain—were discussed with all stakeholders from the sector. These steps aim to move the country forward not only in healthcare but also in economic and academic terms.
The regulation enabling the Social Security Institution (SSI) to cover the examination and treatment costs of clinical research, supported by TÜSEB, is expected to be finalized later this year
Prof. Dr. Ümit Kervan, President of Health Institutes of Türkiye (TÜSEB), emphasized that clinical research is one of the institution’s top priorities and stated: “In the law we enacted for clinical research, we stated that in clinical research supported by TÜSEB in our country, all examinations and treatments conducted within the scope of the research—excluding the cost of medicines and medical devices—would be covered by the Social Security Institution (SSI). We are confident that this change will provide significant support, especially for sectors aiming to manufacture both medical devices and pharmaceuticals. Reflecting the importance we place on this area, we have established an internal team and decided to create a dedicated Department of Clinical Research that will focus solely on clinical research. We have shared our preparations with SSI, and they are currently working on it. Meanwhile, we are developing a comprehensive guideline that outlines all the conditions and criteria for the research we will support.”
Highlighting that there are still important steps to be taken regarding clinical research in Türkiye, Prof. Dr. Kervan added: “We are working intensively on this issue together with the Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency (TİTCK). Our goal is to create a well-defined national guideline for clinical research in Türkiye. If we are to talk about a ‘productive healthcare system,’ one of the most important pillars of this system is clinical research. If we can establish a structure that is recognized by international standards, Türkiye will reach the position it rightfully deserves. Above all, our top priority is ensuring that patients can access the right treatment as early as possible.”
Access to innovative treatments and participation in clinical research is a right for the people of our country. It is our collective responsibility to increase the number of individuals who can benefit from this right
Emphasizing that all efforts in the field of clinical research are ultimately for the benefit of patients, Dr. Pharmacist Nihan Burul Bozkurt, AIFD Health Policies Director stated: “Clinical research is one of the areas where collaboration among stakeholders is most crucial. Today, we are joined by a wide range of stakeholders in the field of clinical research—regulators, sponsors, physicians, contract research organizations, and most importantly, patients/volunteers and representatives of patient associations. While discussing what steps can be taken to further advance clinical research, it is incredibly valuable to also hear directly from patients—to learn how they have benefited from clinical research and what could be improved for them. Participating in clinical research, which provide access to innovative treatments, is a right. It is our collective duty to increase the number of people who can benefit from this right. Clinical research makes a significant contribution to science, R&D, and the national economy. If we want to enhance this contribution, we must move forward in close collaboration with all stakeholders. As AIFD, together with our members, we are ready to do our part and to strengthen partnerships.”
Our goal is to make our country one of the leading countries in the field of clinical research
Emphasizing the great value of clinical research in advancing science and offering patients a second hope, Bora Uludüz, CEO of Memorial Health Group said: “Although there have been significant advancements in the field of clinical research in our country in recent years, when we look at global developments, it’s clear that we still have a long way to go.
We established the Memorial Clinical Research Center in 2019, and since then, we have conducted numerous research, particularly in the field of oncology.
Türkiye has tremendous potential in clinical research. Our goal is to make our country one of the world’s leading countries in this field. Achieving this requires collaboration between both the public and private sectors.”