UK-based contract research organisation (CRO) ClinTec International will formally open an office in Istanbul, Turkey as the company further consolidates its strong presence in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

The announcement coincided with ClinTec’s sponsorship of the Partnerships in Clinical Trials Russia-CIS & MENA-Turkey conference in Istanbul on 22-23 May 2013.

The CRO’s existing MENA network includes offices in Cairo, Egypt; Dubai Health Care City, United Arab Emirates; and Beirut, Lebanon.

Dr Rabinder Buttar, founder and chief executive officer of ClinTec, said the Istanbul office reflected the growing significance of Turkey and the wider MENA region to the global clinical-research market.

“We are delighted to be at the forefront of developing expertise in Turkey and the MENA region as a whole,” Buttar added.

ClinTec has a presence in more than 40 developed and emerging markets overall, taking in Western Europe, Central & Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, Central and South Africa, Latin America, India and the US.