Israeli Government Moves to Tighten Clinical Trial Regulations

Israel's government is to oblige all hospitals to set up a board to monitor clinical trials, under new plans to tighten R&D sector regulations. The decision has reportedly arisen from suspect trials at two research institutions linked to hospitals, which officials believe resulted from ineffective approval procedures.

Authorities have launched a number of measures to enhance the stature of the research industry in recent months. New legislation amending the 1984 Encouragement of Industrial Research and Development Law has been outlined, with terms encouraging drug researchers to begin production in Israel upon registration of a novel drug product. Further, the government hopes that the sector will become a major source of foreign investment, and recently concluded discussions on biotech R&D with a number of Japanese industry players and officials.