oa Clinical trials history & trends in Qatar

Background: Clinical trial registries ensure the transparency and accountability of clinical trials (CTs) internationally^1–2. It is important to safeguard the public's safety through the delivery of quality clinical research. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic there has been a tremendous increase in the number of CTs globally. The MENA region has an opportunity to increase its overall contribution to CTs, which is less than 1%³, in particular, through Qatar given its substantial economical growth and healthcare advancements. This review aims to explore the characteristics of clinical trials performed in Qatar, registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. Methods: The ClinicalTrials.gov registry was searched for trials conducted in Qatar using the appropriate keywords and advanced search options. Data retrieved was downloaded and sorted within Microsoft Excel then reviewed by two independent co-investigators. Results: The preliminary search yielded 143 entries with 32.1% (46) registered as multisite trials. The first trial in Qatar was registered in 2005. There has been a noticeable increase in CTs with its peak in 2020 (Figure 1), with currently 39.1% (9) of registered CTs on COVID-19; 83% of the completed studies were published, with the highest number of publications (8) in 2020 (Figure 1). Several specialties contributed to the CTs, with the highest participation and contribution rate of 31 CTs being in the field of pediatrics. Furthermore, some variations were found in recruitment status as reflected in Figure 2 with ∼65% (93) of studies being interventional and ∼35% being observational. Conclusion: The CTs conducted in Qatar are still relatively low despite the rapidly evolving healthcare system. Immediate updates and follow-ups could be considered by research investigators in Qatar with regards to CTs registration and updating. Further analysis is needed to elucidate the discrepancy of CTs reporting and to increase the contribution of CTs from Qatar to improve the health of its people.