Odyssey Research, a global independent trial management organization devoted to the efficient management of phase II, III, and IV clinical trials, has announced that Zahra Raney has joined the company as director of international business development.

Raney will increase Odyssey's presence in global clinical trials with a strategic focus on leading business initiatives for its facility in New Delhi. Raney has more than nine years of professional experience in the biopharmaceutical industry with broad expertise in technical, business development, sales and management aspects within biopharmaceuticals.

The CRO market in India is in a high growth phase. Under increasing pressure to cut costs and accelerate the clinical development process, biotech and pharma companies are looking to India as an ideal site to conduct clinical trials. Lower infrastructure and labour costs, English-speaking doctors, and an abundant and genetically diverse population of over one billion people make India an attractive site for clinical studies. In addition, the Government of India has demonstrated a commitment to developing a world-class environment for clinical research, by making rapid advancements in developing its regulatory infrastructure and intellectual property legislation.

Odyssey Research has domain expertise in visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and infectious diseases, and is working closely with The Institute of OneWorld Health (iOWH) in conducting a phase IV pharmacovigilance and access study of Paromomycin Intramuscular (IM) injection for the treatment of VL in India. iOWH is a US-based non-profit pharmaceutical company that develops drugs for people with neglected diseases in the developing world.