DR. ASMA AWAD

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She is deeply committed to utilizing her expertise and collaborating with various stakeholders to champion the field of regulatory science and to drive positive change in the healthcare ecosystem to ensure patients have access to safe and innovative products.

In her current position, she collaborates closely with various external stakeholders, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the Global Harmonization Working Party (GHWP), the Medical Device Regulatory Capacity Building (MDRC) project team, Mecomed, and national regulatory authorities.

Together, they drive the convergence, reliance, and adoption of international best practices, ultimately accelerating patient access to innovative healthcare products. Through these efforts, they aim to improve patient health outcomes and alleviate the burden on the healthcare ecosystem.

Her area of expertise is in medical devices and in vitro diagnostics (IVDs), with a specific focus on regulatory policy and capacity building for regulatory professionals.

Prior to her current role, she served as the Regional Regulatory Affairs Manager for the Middle East and Africa, leading significant projects such as MDR/IVDR and Brexit. In this position, she ensured compliance with regulatory requirements and provided strategic guidance to cross-functional teams to bring innovative products to market.

Ms. Ofentse Ramokgopa

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Ofentse Ramokgopa is a pharmacist by profession who obtained her qualification from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, she is currently in pursuit of a master’s degree in pharmaceutical affairs at the university of the Witwatersrand with her research focus on advanced drug development. Her first exposure to medical devices was through community service at the former Medicines control Council (MCC) which is now The South Africa Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA).  Her experience includes wholesale, distribution, and warehousing. She currently holds a position as a medical device technical officer responsible for Licensing and Compliance at SAHPRA.

Ms. Rana Chalhoub

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Rana Chalhoub is an experienced Regulatory Affairs Professional with a demonstrated history of working in leading multinational medical devices companies such as Medtronic, Johnson & Johnson and Hospira Pfizer. During her career, Rana has managed to take over regulatory roles of increased responsibilities with an extended area coverage where she has built extensive knowledge of the regulations across MEA region. Rana holds a Laboratory Sciences degree along with a Regulatory Affairs Certification (RAC) from RAPS, along with a certificate in “Regulation: Theory, Strategy & Practice” from London School of Economics & Political Sciences (LSE).

 

In her current role as Regulatory Affairs Director at Mecomed, Rana is responsible for managing Regulatory Affairs-related responsibilities in MECOMED, the Medical Technology Association in Middle East and Africa, and works closely with Mecomed RA and executive teams on advancing Medical Technology regulations in the region.

 

She acts as the link between MECOMED members and external stakeholders such as Ministry of Health officials and Regulatory agencies with special emphasis on the prioritization of the RA needs of the MedTech industry.