Category: Navigating Regulatory Landscapes in Latin America

Explores the regulatory requirements and best practices for conducting clinical trials in Latin America, focusing on medical devices and biopharmaceuticals.

  • LATAM rapid-startup archetypes: Chile, Costa Rica, Panama, and El Salvador selection matrix

    Four countries. Two archetypes. One decision: which startup design matches the evidence your board, QA, and first-patient-in date actually need.

    I am Julio Martinez-Clark, CEO of bioaccess®. This is Part 3 of the Latin America rapid-startup archetypes series — the comparative framework for Chile, Costa Rica, Panama, and El Salvador. Part 1: pure ethics committee approval. Part 2: parallel review models. Corridor overview: fast-track FIH corridor. Indicative clocks only — confirm on filing day. Not legal advice.

    The two archetypes side by side

    Dimension Pure ethics (Chile & Costa Rica) Parallel review (Panama & El Salvador)
    What authorizes trial start Accredited CEC / IRB decision Ethics + national authority, concurrent
    Ministry / regulator role on the protocol No sequential ministry protocol-science queue; import / registry logistics follow ethics MINSA (Panama) or SRS (El Salvador) evaluate alongside ethics
    Primary instruments Chile: Ley 20.120, Decreto 114. Costa Rica: Ley 9234 / CONIS-accredited CEC Panama: Decreto Ejecutivo 21/2026 Art. 91, Type II CBI, RESEGIS. El Salvador: SRS-CNEIS-ES
    Statutory / typical ethics clock Chile CEC: 45 calendar days (extendable once by 20 for founded reasons). Costa Rica: CONIS-accredited CEC + CONIS registration Panama: parallel ethics + MINSA; ~30–45 day startup when complete. El Salvador: CNEIS pleno timed to its meeting schedule; overall ~30–60 days
    Submission logistics Ethics package first; then ISP import (Chile) or CONIS registry (Costa Rica) One concurrent package into dual desks (RESEGIS/CBI or SRS-CNEIS-ES)
    Best when you need Clean ethics authorization without buying a ministry science co-signature Authority validation without sequential backlog

    Country cards for Clinical Ops, CMOs, and RA Directors

    Chile

    • Archetype: Pure ethics.
    • Clock to watch: Accredited CEC under Decreto 114 — 45 calendar days from complete submission.
    • Ministerial involvement: Not an ANAMED-style pharma IND sequential review for devices. ISP issues investigational-device import / provisional research-use authorization based on CEC clearance.
    • Operational lead time to FPI: Ethics calendar + ISP import readiness + site director authorization. Plan weeks after a clean CEC letter, not months of ministry protocol science.
    • Select Chile when: You want a statutory ethics clock, strong data-rigor perception, and a device path that does not wait on centralized pharma IND machinery.

    Costa Rica

    • Archetype: Pure ethics.
    • Clock to watch: Written approval from a CONIS-accredited CEC, then CONIS registration before execution.
    • Ministerial involvement: CONIS sits under the Ministry of Health structure for accreditation and registry. MINSA does not run a sequential protocol scientific review after ethics as the critical path.
    • Operational lead time to FPI: CEC decision + CONIS registration + site institutional authorization. Combined ethics-plus-registry work commonly lands in a weeks-to-low-months band when the Spanish file is complete — ask for a study-specific calendar.
    • Select Costa Rica when: You want Central American infrastructure, English-friendly operations, and an ethics-led start without inventing a ministry co-review that the archetype does not sell.

    Panama

    • Archetype: Parallel review.
    • Clock to watch: Decreto Ejecutivo 21/2026 Art. 91 — MINSA and CNBI-accredited Type II CBI evaluate simultaneously via RESEGIS mechanics. Complete-file startup often ~30–45 days.
    • Ministerial involvement: Explicit and concurrent. Registration on RESEGIS is mandatory before execution.
    • Operational lead time to FPI: Parallel clearance + import / DNFD touches where required + site activation. The sprinter reputation is real when the dossier is Spanish-complete on day one.
    • Select Panama when: You need ministry evaluation on the protocol and still need a weeks-scale startup. Use Type II, not Type I.

    El Salvador

    • Archetype: Parallel review.
    • Clock to watch: Unified SRS-CNEIS-ES submission; CNEIS pleno timed to its meeting schedule; overall clearance typically 30–60 days.
    • Ministerial / authority involvement: SRS and CNEIS review concurrently from one digital file.
    • Operational lead time to FPI: Platform clearance + hospital contracting + import readiness. Cost position is often favorable versus Panama; population depth still constrains recruitment modeling.
    • Select El Salvador when: You want one ethics body, one regulator, one submission — authority validation without sequential delay.

    Selection matrix — five filters before you pick

    1. Do you need a national regulator’s protocol evaluation on the docket?
      Yes → Panama or El Salvador. No → Chile or Costa Rica.
    2. Is your pain sequential backlog or ethics capacity?
      Sequential backlog → parallel archetype. Ethics calendar / Spanish file quality → fix the dossier before you change countries.
    3. Device vs drug path?
      Chile’s device story (outside ANAMED pharma IND; ISP import after CEC) is a specific MedTech advantage. Confirm drug paths separately — do not copy-paste the device matrix onto every IND.
    4. Recruitment honesty
      All four corridor countries are smaller than Brazil, Mexico, or Colombia. Fast startup is worthless if screening math is fiction. Model prevalence before you celebrate a 45-day ethics clock.
    5. Import and site reality
      FPI is ethics/regulator clearance plus device or drug on site plus contracts signed. Parallel review does not ship inventory. Pure ethics does not either.

    Indicative lead times to first-patient-in

    For the phases before submission (protocol, site selection, translation, insurance and contracts) and how they add up, see our phase-by-phase site activation timeline guide.

    Use these as planning bands for early-phase programs with a complete Spanish dossier, not as guarantees:

    • Chile: CEC 45-calendar-day frame + ISP import + site authorization → often a weeks-scale path after complete ethics submission.
    • Costa Rica: CONIS-accredited CEC + CONIS registration + site authorization → weeks to low months depending on committee cadence and file quality.
    • Panama: Parallel Type II + MINSA via RESEGIS → ~30–45 days to clearance on a complete file; FPI follows import and site readiness.
    • El Salvador: SRS-CNEIS-ES concurrent review → typically 30–60 days to clearance; CNEIS pleno timing inside that band follows its meeting schedule.

    If someone sells you “15 days to FPI” without naming dossier completeness, import status, and site contracts, they are selling a press line, not an operating plan. bioaccess® has activated fast Panama files; we still separate clearance clocks from first-patient clocks.

    How this series maps to the corridor post

    The corridor article answers “why these four countries feel fast.” This series answers “which legal design are you buying.” Speed without archetype clarity produces the wrong country for the wrong diligence question. Put both documents in the same diligence binder.

    Worked examples (no client names)

    Example A — implantable early feasibility, US IDE still months out. Board wants first-in-human data and does not require a ministry co-signature on the protocol science. Chile’s CEC clock under Decreto 114 plus ISP import after CEC is the cleaner fit than forcing a parallel-review country for optics.

    Example B — injectable or higher-visibility program where RA wants regulator eyes on the protocol. Panama Art. 91 parallel evaluation or El Salvador SRS-CNEIS-ES concurrent review answers the diligence question without a 6–12 month sequential stack.

    Example C — multi-country early program. Use Costa Rica or Chile for an ethics-led first site while a Panama or El Salvador file runs in parallel for authority-validated evidence. That is portfolio design. It is not “pick the fastest logo.”

    Diligence questions to send your CRO

    1. Which archetype are you selling me, in one sentence, with the named statute or platform?
    2. What starts the clock — complete-file date or first email?
    3. What is explicitly not included in the clearance clock (import, contracts, pharmacy)?
    4. For Panama: Type II CBI name and RESEGIS registration owner?
    5. For El Salvador: who holds the SRS-CNEIS-ES account and who answers queries inside the platform?
    6. For Chile: which accredited CEC and what is the ISP import dependency after the CEC letter?
    7. For Costa Rica: which CONIS-accredited CEC and when does CONIS registration occur relative to site activation?

    If the answers smear archetypes together, restart the country conversation before you restart the translation budget.

    Operator recommendation

    • MedTech FIH founder avoiding US IDE queue, wants ethics-led start: start with Chile or Costa Rica (Part 1).
    • Sponsor whose QA/RA needs concurrent authority evaluation: start with Panama or El Salvador (Part 2).
    • Portfolio with mixed programs: do not force one archetype. Match each protocol to the filter list above.

    bioaccess® — the First-in-Human CRO for medical devices in Latin America since 2010 — builds the dossier to the archetype you chose, not the one that sounds faster in a slide. Global Trial Accelerators™ and the country hubs on bioaccessla.com exist so your team can verify clocks against named instruments: Ley 20.120, Decreto 114, Ley 9234 / CONIS, Decreto Ejecutivo 21/2026 Art. 91, SRS-CNEIS-ES.

    Talk with bioaccess® when you need the four-country matrix turned into a study-specific startup calendar with Spanish file ownership, import sequencing, and an honest FPI date.

  • Parallel review in Panama and El Salvador: cutting sequential clinical trial backlogs

    Sequential startup is the silent killer of early-phase calendars. Ethics finishes. Then the ministry opens the protocol. Then someone asks for a Spanish annex you already had. Six to twelve months disappear before first-patient-in.

    I am Julio Martinez-Clark, CEO of bioaccess®. Panama and El Salvador sit in the second rapid-startup archetype: parallel review. Centralized authorities evaluate protocols at the same time as ethics committees. You still clear both gates. You stop waiting for them in series.

    This is Part 2 of the Latin America rapid-startup archetypes series. Part 1 covered pure ethics committee approval in Chile and Costa Rica. Part 3 is the comparative selection matrix. Corridor context: fast-track FIH corridor. Not legal advice — confirm the pathway on filing day.

    The archetype in one sentence

    Parallel review means the regulator and the ethics body work the same protocol package concurrently, so the traditional 6–12 month sequential backlog never becomes your critical path.

    Sponsors who need a national authority’s validation on the docket — without paying for that validation in serial months — belong here.

    Panama: Decreto Ejecutivo 21/2026, Art. 91, Type II CBIs, RESEGIS

    On 23 April 2026 Panama published Decreto Ejecutivo No. 21 (Gaceta Oficial No. 30510-C), implementing Titles III and IV of Ley 84 of 14 May 2019. For startup design, three pieces matter more than the rest of the decree:

    • RESEGIS — MINSA’s web platform for registro y seguimiento of health-research projects. Studies register before execution; the public docket is real, not folklore.
    • CNBI-accredited Type II CBIs — clinical trials go to Type II Comités de Bioética de la Investigación accredited by the national committee (CNBI). Ordinary ethics clocks are defined in the decree (including a 20-business-day ordinary review frame for complete files).
    • Artículo 91 parallel evaluation — for the high-risk / clinical-trial line, MINSA’s evaluation and the accredited Type II CBI review run simultaneously. The ministry review does not freeze the ethics clock.

    Operationally, that is why Panama startup compresses into roughly 30–45 days when the Spanish file is complete and the Type II committee is correctly selected. Parallelism is the design. Incomplete dossiers are still the failure mode.

    Operator checklist for Panama:

    1. Confirm the ethics destination is a CNBI-accredited Type II CBI. Type I is the wrong lane for interventional trials.
    2. Register the project in RESEGIS on the decree’s timeline — do not treat ethics approval as a substitute for registration.
    3. Submit a Spanish package that both MINSA and the CBI can review without translation theater: protocol, IB, consent, insurance, investigator and site docs.
    4. Plan import / pharmacy (including DNFD touchpoints where the product path requires them) as logistics that ride the RESEGIS + ethics + authorization chain — not as a surprise third sequential science review.
    5. Read the public RESEGIS list if you want proof the country is not opaque. The docket is an Excel-shaped reality, not a black box.

    Deeper Panama notes already published on the site: Decreto 21 of 2026 explained, CNBI / Type II procedure checklist, RESEGIS public trial docket, and functional animal studies vs Decreto 21.

    El Salvador: SRS-CNEIS-ES unified digital submission

    El Salvador’s parallel model is digital by design. Sponsors submit through the SRS-CNEIS-ES platform. One structured submission feeds both:

    • SRS — Superintendencia de Regulación Sanitaria (the national sanitary regulator; successor posture to the former DNM for this work), and
    • CNEIS — Comité Nacional de Ética de la Investigación en Salud.

    SRS and CNEIS review concurrently. You are not waiting for ethics to finish before the regulator opens the file, or the reverse. CNEIS pleno review runs on the committee’s own meeting schedule; overall clearance for a complete international protocol typically lands in 30–60 days.

    That combination — one ethics body with national authority for international pharmaceutical / clinical protocols, one regulator, one digital submission — is why sponsors who want authority validation without sequential delay keep El Salvador on the short list.

    Operator checklist for El Salvador:

    1. Create the SRS-CNEIS-ES account and roles before you promise a board date. Platform access is part of the critical path.
    2. Upload a complete package on the first pass. Parallel review punishes incompleteness twice — both desks ask at once.
    3. Track status inside the platform. Do not invent a parallel email channel that splits the audit trail.
    4. Separate trial authorization from commercial registro thinking. A FIH clearance is not a marketing authorization; keep the investigational file off the commercial hold pattern.
    5. Model hospital fees and site activation as a second workstream. Regulatory parallelism does not auto-complete contracting.

    Related El Salvador posts: FIH step-by-step guide, CNEIS/SRS trial authorization vs registro.

    Parallel review vs pure ethics — choose on purpose

    Parallel review is not “better” than Chile/Costa Rica’s pure-ethics archetype. It is a different product.

    • Buy parallel review when your investors, notified body, or internal QA want a national regulator’s concurrent evaluation on the protocol — and you refuse to pay for that with a sequential backlog.
    • Buy pure ethics when the CEC letter is the authorization you need to open sites, and ministry involvement is import / registry logistics rather than protocol science.

    Confusing the two produces bad decks: Chile sold as “ministry co-approval,” or Panama sold as “ethics only.” Neither story survives diligence.

    Parallel review shortens only one phase. For the whole path from protocol synopsis to first patient, see our phase-by-phase site activation timeline guide.

    What still kills the 30–45 / 30–60 day windows

    Parallelism removes waiting between desks. It does not remove:

    • Incomplete Spanish informed consent or IB
    • Wrong ethics destination (Panama Type I vs Type II)
    • Missing insurance or site letters
    • Import / customs readiness that starts the week you hoped to screen
    • Honest recruitment math in smaller populations

    bioaccess® will tell you the clock on the statute and the clock on your file. They are not the same number until the dossier is complete.

    Submission logistics that make parallelism real

    Parallel review fails in the same place sequential review fails: the first incomplete upload. The difference is you learn it from two desks at once.

    For Panama, treat RESEGIS registration, Type II CBI submission, and MINSA evaluation as one workstream with shared Spanish source files. Assign a single document controller. Version the protocol once. Do not let the ethics PDF and the ministry PDF drift by a forgotten amendment.

    For El Salvador, the SRS-CNEIS-ES platform is the workstream. Role setup, document taxonomy, and in-platform responses are part of Good Clinical Practice hygiene, not IT busywork. If your team answers SRS questions by WhatsApp and CNEIS questions by email, you have rebuilt sequential chaos on top of a parallel system.

    Import readiness belongs on the same Gantt row as review. A 35-day clearance with a device still on a US loading dock is not a 35-day path to first-patient-in. bioaccess® sequences customs, temperature control, and site pharmacy qualification against the expected clearance week — not against hope.

    Audience fit

    This archetype is for sponsors seeking regulatory-authority validation without sequential approval delays — Clinical Operations VPs and Regulatory Affairs leads who must show a ministry or superintendencia touch on the protocol while still protecting a FIH calendar measured in weeks.

    Next: Part 3 — comparative framework and selection matrix across all four countries.

    Talk with bioaccess® when you need a Panama RESEGIS + Type II file or an El Salvador SRS-CNEIS-ES package built for concurrent review — the First-in-Human CRO posture we have held in Latin America since 2010.

  • Pure ethics committee approval in Chile and Costa Rica: zero ministry bottleneck

    If you are a US or EU MedTech or biotech founder staring at the US investigational device exemption (IDE) queue, the first question is usually wrong. The question is not “which Latin American country is fastest.” The question is which archetype of startup you are buying.

    I am Julio Martinez-Clark, CEO of bioaccess®. Chile and Costa Rica sit in the first archetype: pure ethics committee approval. For early-phase medical device and many biopharma programs, an accredited ethics committee (CEC / IRB) is the gate that authorizes clinical operations at research sites. The Ministry of Health does not run a sequential scientific review of the protocol the way a classic agency IND path does.

    This article is Part 1 of a three-part series on Latin America’s rapid-startup archetypes (Chile, Costa Rica, Panama, El Salvador). Part 2 covers parallel review in Panama and El Salvador. Part 3 is the selection matrix. Companion corridor overview: Latin America’s fast-track FIH corridor. General information only — not legal advice. Confirm the filing-day pathway before you lock a calendar.

    The archetype in one sentence

    In Chile and Costa Rica, you get to first-patient-in by clearing an accredited ethics committee — not by waiting for a ministry to finish a separate protocol science queue after ethics is done.

    That does not mean “no paperwork” and it does not mean “no import file.” It means the protocol’s scientific and ethical authorization lives in the CEC / IRB layer. Import and site logistics ride on that clearance instead of sitting behind a second ministry protocol evaluation.

    Chile: Ley 20.120, Decreto 114, and the 45-day CEC clock

    Chile’s human-research frame is Ley 20.120 and its regulation, Decreto 114. Accredited Comités Ético Científicos (CECs) evaluate protocols under a statutory clock: 45 calendar days from a complete submission, with a single founded extension of 20 days available under the regulation. That clock is the planning number sponsors should put on the Gantt chart for ethics — not a marketing estimate.

    For medical devices, the early-phase path is structurally different from a pharmaceutical IND-style review at ANAMED. Device studies sit outside ANAMED’s centralized pharma investigational-product review. The Instituto de Salud Pública (ISP) role that matters for startup is the investigational-device import / provisional research-use authorization that follows CEC clearance. In practice: get the accredited CEC letter first; then work the ISP import file on the back of that clearance. Do not model Chile as “Ministry evaluates the protocol for six months, then ethics starts.”

    Operator implications for Chile:

    • Pick an accredited CEC early and map its meeting calendar. The statute gives you a day count; institutional agendas still decide when your file is complete enough to start the clock.
    • Spanish protocol, informed consent, and investigator’s brochure quality decide whether you burn the 45-day window on questions or clear it once.
    • Treat ISP as the import / research-use authority after CEC — not as a second sequential protocol science gate in the ANAMED drug sense.
    • Site director authorization under the Chilean regulation is a real step. Budget it after CEC (and after ISP when your product path requires it).

    For device-specific ISP investigation vs commercial registro nuance, see our live notes on Chile ISP clinical trial path for medical devices and why ISP treats device and drug trials differently.

    Costa Rica: CONIS-accredited CEC as the authorization to start

    Costa Rica’s Biomedical Research Law (Ley N.° 9234) and its regulations put written approval from a CONIS-accredited Comité Ético Científico at the center of trial initiation. CONIS (Consejo Nacional de Investigación en Salud), under the Ministry of Health, accredits the committees and runs the national protocol registry. That is not the same thing as MINSA running a sequential scientific review of every protocol after ethics.

    For sponsors evaluating FIH / early feasibility outside the US IDE queue, the operational read is:

    • A CONIS-accredited local CEC approves the protocol in writing.
    • The approved project is registered with CONIS before execution activities begin.
    • MINSA does not insert a second, sequential ministry protocol science review of the kind that creates 6–12 month backlogs in sequential markets.

    Phase I and certain ministry-housed CEC paths exist inside the Costa Rican system — confirm filing class on day one. For most early-phase MedTech and biotech founders comparing corridors, the archetype still holds: ethics accreditation is the authorization layer; CONIS registration is the national bookkeeping layer; you are not buying a ministry-after-ethics science queue.

    Operator implications for Costa Rica:

    • Confirm the CEC is CONIS-accredited before you translate a dossier for the wrong committee.
    • Build the Spanish file to ICH-GCP and, for devices, ISO 14155 expectations the committee actually uses.
    • Register with CONIS after CEC approval. Registration is not a substitute for the CEC letter.
    • Model hospital / site institutional authorization separately from the CEC decision.

    See also: Costa Rica FIH activation calendar (CEC, CONIS, canon) and the Costa Rica clinical trials hub.

    What “zero ministry bottleneck” does and does not mean

    Sponsors hear “only ethics” and invent two false stories. Correct both before you brief your board.

    False story 1: There is no government involvement at all.
    Reality: Chile still has ISP import / provisional research-use mechanics after CEC. Costa Rica still has CONIS accreditation and registration under the Ministry of Health structure. “Zero ministry bottleneck” means the ministry is not the sequential protocol-science gate that holds first-patient-in for half a year.

    False story 2: Ethics is a rubber stamp.
    Reality: Accredited CECs in both countries review risk-benefit, consent, insurance, investigator fitness, and protocol science. Incomplete Spanish files restart the clock. Pure-ethics archetypes are fast when the file is complete. They are not shortcuts around subject protection.

    Who this archetype fits

    US/EU MedTech and biotech founders evaluating FIH / early feasibility outside the US IDE queue usually fit Chile or Costa Rica when:

    • You want a clear ethics clock you can put in a financing deck (Chile’s 45-calendar-day CEC frame is the cleanest statutory example).
    • You accept that import / registry steps follow ethics instead of preceding a ministry protocol evaluation.
    • Your program benefits from strong data-rigor perception (Chile) or solid Central American infrastructure with English-friendly operations (Costa Rica), without needing a ministry scientific co-signature on the protocol itself.

    If your board or notified body specifically wants a national regulator’s concurrent protocol evaluation on the docket, look at Part 2 — Panama and El Salvador’s parallel-review archetype — not at stretching Chile or Costa Rica into something they are not.

    Practical startup sequence (both countries)

    1. Freeze the English protocol and IB; commission Spanish translations that a CEC can read without guessing.
    2. Select the accredited CEC (Chile) or CONIS-accredited CEC (Costa Rica) and obtain the current submission checklist and meeting calendar.
    3. Submit a complete ethics package: protocol, IB, informed consent, insurance, investigator CVs, site letters.
    4. Track the statutory or committee clock from the complete-file date, not from the first email.
    5. On favorable CEC decision, open the import / research-use file (Chile ISP) or CONIS registration (Costa Rica) without waiting for a ministry protocol science second pass that this archetype does not require.
    6. Close site contracts, pharmacy / device custody, and screening only after the country-specific start conditions are documented.

    How bioaccess® runs this archetype

    bioaccess® has been the First-in-Human CRO for medical devices in Latin America since 2010. On Chile and Costa Rica files we treat the CEC package as the critical path, keep ISP import or CONIS registration on a parallel logistics track after ethics, and refuse to sell you a sequential ministry fantasy that is not in the statute. When Global Trial Accelerators™ or a country hub on bioaccessla.com already covers a filing detail, we link it rather than invent a new clock.

    Next in this series: Parallel review models in Panama and El Salvador. Then the four-country selection matrix.

    Talk with bioaccess® when you need a Chile or Costa Rica FIH dossier built for the ethics clock you actually have — not the US IDE queue you are trying to step around.

  • Vantage Clinical in Kazakhstan, and Where Latin America Fits

    General information, not legal or regulatory advice. bioaccess® does not speak for Vantage. Statements about Vantage are attributed to its public website (vantage-ct.com) and its newsletter, The Vantage Brief, as of 28 September 2026. Confirm any detail that matters to your program with Vantage directly.

    If you searched Vantage Clinical, Vantage Kazakhstan, or vantage-ct, you are probably weighing Kazakhstan for an early-phase clinical trial. This page does three things. It separates the Kazakhstan platform from a U.S. site network with a similar name. It summarizes what Vantage publicly says it offers. And it explains where Latin America, and bioaccess®, The First-in-Human CRO (contract research organization), fit when your program includes a medical device first-in-human (FIH) study.

    First, which “Vantage”?

    Two unrelated organizations show up for this search:

    • Vantage Clinical (vantage-ct.com). Describes itself as sovereign-backed clinical trial infrastructure in Kazakhstan, built by biotech operators and investors. It lists locations in New York, Dubai, and Astana, and its site footer uses the name “Vantage Clinical Trials.” The Vantage Brief lists Charlie Regis, Almas Kenessary, and Zach Lomis as co-founders and partners, and Didar Bitmanov as chief operating officer (COO).
    • Vantage Clinical Trials (vantagetrials.com). An independent clinical research site network in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, founded in 2018, with sites in Tampa, St. Petersburg, and The Villages.

    This page is about the first one.

    What Vantage says it offers in Kazakhstan

    Vantage calls itself “the Kazakhstan layer”: the in-country platform, while sponsors keep flexibility on which CRO they use. Its website lists four parts:

    • Government integration. Direct ministerial relationships and sovereign backing.
    • Site and principal investigator (PI) network. Government-owned hospitals, Joint Commission International (JCI)-accredited facilities, and in-country site contracting, qualification, and activation.
    • Accelerated recruitment. A centralized digital health database that Vantage says covers 20 million citizens.
    • Regulatory navigation. Local approvals coordinated with Kazakhstan’s National Center for Drugs and Medical Devices Evaluation, with protocols built around International Council for Harmonisation (ICH) E6(R2) Good Clinical Practice (GCP).

    Vantage describes itself as CRO-agnostic. Sponsors can bring their existing CRO, or Vantage coordinates with global CROs. Its newsletter names Tigermed as its global CRO partner. Its feasibility form covers first-in-human and proof-of-concept (POC) studies through Phase 3. Its June 2026 newsletter describes a first-in-human feasibility study of a bioresorbable peripheral vascular scaffold at a national hospital in Astana.

    Vantage also publishes performance figures for Kazakhstan, such as 2–3x faster enrollment, 20–30% of Western cost, and 250+ completed and ongoing trials in the country. Those are Vantage’s figures. bioaccess® has not independently checked them, and we do not repeat them as our own. If a number matters to your budget, ask Vantage what it is based on.

    Where Latin America fits

    Kazakhstan and Latin America are not an either/or choice. They can answer different questions in an early-stage plan. bioaccess® has focused on first-in-human and early feasibility studies (EFS) since 2010. Most of our sponsors are U.S. medical device startups. We anchor on U.S. regulatory strategy and run studies across a defined list of 19 Latin American and Caribbean countries.

    Three situations where Latin America is worth a look alongside a Kazakhstan plan:

    1. Device-first programs. If your first human milestone is a device FIH or EFS, Latin America offers pre-qualified sites with small-cohort device experience, in time zones close to the U.S. Later-phase or larger cohorts can go wherever your regulatory strategy points, Kazakhstan included.
    2. A second geography. Early-phase plans often stall for reasons unrelated to the science: a site’s calendar, an import permit, a regulator’s queue. A second country in a different region lowers single-country risk.
    3. Hands-on oversight from the U.S. Some sponsor teams want to be in the room for the first cases. Short flights and overlapping working hours make that practical in Latin America.

    Neither region is automatically faster or cheaper for every protocol. Match the geography to the device, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) pathway, and what your investors need to see.

    At a glance

    Kazakhstan via Vantage Latin America via bioaccess®
    What it is In-country platform: government integration, sites, recruitment, regulatory navigation (per vantage-ct.com) First-in-human CRO: U.S. regulatory anchoring plus Latin American execution (per bioaccessla.com)
    CRO model CRO-agnostic; names Tigermed as global CRO partner bioaccess® is the CRO
    Stages listed publicly FIH and POC through Phase 3 FIH and EFS
    Geography Kazakhstan; offices listed in New York, Dubai, Astana 19 Latin American and Caribbean countries; headquartered in Miami
    Sites Government-owned hospitals and JCI-accredited facilities 50+ pre-qualified sites
    FDA rule for foreign data Vantage cites 21 CFR 312.120 (U.S. Code of Federal Regulations; drugs and biologics) 21 CFR 812.28 (devices); eligibility is not clearance
    First contact info@vantage-ct.com Schedule time with Julio Martinez-Clark

    FDA and foreign data, briefly

    FDA does not keep a country scorecard. For drugs and biologics, FDA considers foreign clinical data under 21 CFR 312.120. For devices, 21 CFR 812.28 lets FDA accept data from studies outside the U.S. to support an investigational device exemption (IDE) or a marketing submission, when the study followed GCP (for devices, usually ISO 14155, the International Organization for Standardization standard for device trials), had independent ethics review and informed consent, and FDA can validate the data, including by inspection if needed. Eligibility is not clearance or approval. Plan the bridge with FDA early, usually through a Pre-Submission meeting. More detail: Does the FDA accept clinical data from Latin America? and Can first-in-human data from outside the U.S. support an FDA IDE submission?

    Related pages

    Frequently asked questions

    Is Vantage Clinical the same company as Vantage Clinical Trials in Florida?

    No. Vantage Clinical (vantage-ct.com) is a clinical trial platform focused on Kazakhstan, with offices listed in New York, Dubai, and Astana. Vantage Clinical Trials (vantagetrials.com) is an independent research site network in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, founded in 2018. They are separate organizations.

    Is bioaccess® part of Vantage?

    No. bioaccess® and Vantage are independent companies. bioaccess® is The First-in-Human CRO, headquartered in Miami and focused on the U.S. and Latin America. If your plan includes both Kazakhstan and Latin America, tell us and we will coordinate with your Kazakhstan partner.

    Does Vantage run medical device trials?

    Vantage’s feasibility form lists first-in-human and proof-of-concept studies through Phase 3, and its June 2026 newsletter describes a first-in-human feasibility study of a bioresorbable peripheral vascular scaffold at a national hospital in Astana. For specifics on devices in Kazakhstan, ask Vantage directly.

    Will the FDA accept data from Kazakhstan or Latin America?

    FDA decides case by case, not by country. It considers foreign drug and biologic data under 21 CFR 312.120 and foreign device data under 21 CFR 812.28, looking at GCP compliance, ethics review, informed consent, and whether it can validate the data. Eligibility is not clearance or approval, so align the plan with FDA early, usually through a Pre-Submission meeting.

    Can one program use both Kazakhstan and Latin America?

    Yes. Sequencing the two regions is usually simpler than running both under one protocol at the same time, because each has its own regulator, ethics committees, language, and import logistics. One sequence to consider: a device first-in-human or early feasibility study in Latin America, then larger or later-phase cohorts wherever your regulatory strategy points.

    How do I start a conversation?

    For Kazakhstan feasibility, contact Vantage at info@vantage-ct.com. For a device first-in-human or early feasibility study in Latin America, schedule time with Julio Martinez-Clark, CEO of bioaccess®, at bioaccessla.com/schedule-time-with-julio-martinez-clark.

    Next step

    Planning a device first-in-human study and weighing Kazakhstan, Latin America, or both? Schedule time with Julio Martinez-Clark, CEO of bioaccess®.

    Schedule time with Julio Martinez-Clark

  • Kazakhstan Medical Device Trial Approval: Who Signs Off, What the Rules Say, and How Latin America Compares

    General information, not legal or regulatory advice. Sources were checked on 28 September 2026. bioaccess® does not run studies in Kazakhstan and is not affiliated with any company named here.

    If you searched for “Kazakhstan device trial approval”, you probably want to know who approves an interventional medical device study there, what standards apply, and whether it makes sense for a first-in-human (FIH) or early feasibility study (EFS). This page summarizes the framework from public legal sources and then compares it fairly with a Latin American start.

    Who approves an interventional device trial

    A legal overview published on Legal 500 describes three steps:

    1. Expert review. The National Center for Expertise of Medicines and Medical Devices examines the clinical trial materials and issues a conclusion.
    2. Bioethics review. The Central Commission on Bioethics reviews interventional trials of foreign-produced medicines and devices, as well as trials at two or more centers in Kazakhstan. Local bioethics commissions handle single-center studies, except interventional trials of products made outside Kazakhstan. For a foreign device FIH, plan on the Central Commission.
    3. Permission. The Committee for Medical and Pharmaceutical Control of the Ministry of Healthcare issues the permit and conducts clinical-trial inspections.

    The legal framework

    The same overview lists the main instruments:

    • The Code on Public Health and the Healthcare System (No. 360-VI, 7 July 2020).
    • The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) Rules of Good Clinical Practice (Decision No. 79, 3 November 2016) and Kazakhstan’s own good clinical practice (GCP) standard (Order ҚР ДСМ-15, 4 February 2021).
    • ISO 14155 through Eurasian Economic Commission Recommendation No. 17 (4 September 2017) on device trials involving human subjects.
    • The rules for conducting clinical trials and the requirements for clinical sites (Order ҚР ДСМ-248/2020, 11 December 2020).

    Other points from the overview that matter for planning:

    • Site requirements: a medical license, standard operating procedures (SOPs) for trials, suitable equipment or contracted services, GCP-trained staff, and intensive care capability where the protocol requires it.
    • Participant restrictions: interventional trials may not enroll military or law-enforcement personnel, employees of the medical organization where the research takes place, or people in penal institutions.
    • Records: the sponsor and investigator must archive trial documents for 25 years after completion.
    • The overview notes that draft amendments were under public discussion when it was published, so confirm the current text.

    What is published about timelines

    We did not find an official, device-specific end-to-end timeline in the sources above. Ask for a written calendar that covers the expert review, the Central Commission on Bioethics and the Ministry permit.

    Standards and U.S. data acceptance

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepts device data from outside the United States under 21 CFR 812.28 when the study is well designed and well conducted under GCP, with independent ethics review and informed consent, and FDA can validate the data. That data can support an investigational device exemption (IDE), 510(k), De Novo or premarket approval (PMA) submission. Kazakhstan’s reference to ISO 14155 fits that expectation. What matters is how the study is actually run.

    Patients, sites and device experience

    • Population: about 20.6 million (World Bank, 2024).
    • ClinicalTrials.gov (28 September 2026): 26 interventional device records list a site in Kazakhstan. None has “device feasibility” as its primary purpose, which suggests early-device experience is still limited.
    • Kazakhstan does not appear on Clinical Accelerator’s public coverage map.

    Recruitment reality: with a thin FIH track record, you will depend more heavily on individual investigators’ experience with your device type. Strict inclusion criteria can shrink eligible pools quickly. Verify screening numbers for your criteria at each named site.

    Logistics from the United States

    • Time zone: Astana is on UTC+5 (Coordinated Universal Time plus five hours), 9–10 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time.
    • Languages: Kazakh and Russian. Confirm the translation requirements for the protocol and informed consent form (ICF).
    • Check the U.S. Department of State travel advisory and current routings.

    Genuine strengths

    Kazakhstan has a codified framework that explicitly references ISO 14155 and EAEU GCP, a defined inspection authority, clear site requirements, and a mid-sized population. For sponsors who also have Eurasian market plans, running work there can be strategically useful.

    How Latin America compares

    • Same FDA rule: 21 CFR 812.28.
    • Early-device track record: on ClinicalTrials.gov, Panama has 5 records with “device feasibility” as their primary purpose, Chile 4 and Brazil 15.
    • Published clocks: our Panama hub publishes 3–5 week ethics approval and a 6–8 week average to first patient with bioaccess® coordination. Argentina’s ANMAT (Administración Nacional de Medicamentos, Alimentos y Tecnología Médica) regulates device clinical investigations under Disposition 969/1997. See our Argentina hub.
    • Time zone: 0–2 hours from U.S. Eastern.
    • U.S. continuity: bioaccess® is headquartered in Miami, and its sister organization Amavita Research Services runs a Miami device and early feasibility study site.
    • Trade-offs: Spanish or Portuguese documents and investigational import permits.

    Other country guides: Uzbekistan

    Frequently asked questions

    Who issues permission for a device trial in Kazakhstan?

    The Committee for Medical and Pharmaceutical Control of the Ministry of Healthcare issues the permit. It relies on a conclusion from the National Center for Expertise of Medicines and Medical Devices and a bioethics opinion.

    Which ethics body reviews a foreign device trial?

    For interventional trials of foreign-produced devices, the Central Commission on Bioethics reviews the study, according to the published legal overview.

    Does Kazakhstan follow ISO 14155?

    Yes. A Eurasian Economic Commission recommendation on device good clinical practice, based on ISO 14155, is part of the framework.

    Will the FDA accept data from Kazakhstan?

    It can. Under 21 CFR 812.28, FDA accepts data from outside the United States from studies run under GCP that it can validate. The decision is made case by case.

    How long does approval take?

    We found no official device-specific figure. Ask for a written calendar.

    Next step

    Comparing Kazakhstan with a Latin American start? Schedule time with Julio G. Martinez-Clark, CEO of bioaccess®.

  • Medical Device Clinical Trials in Uzbekistan: The 2026 Rules, Real Strengths, and How Latin America Compares

    General information, not legal or regulatory advice. Sources were checked on 28 September 2026. bioaccess® does not run studies in Uzbekistan and is not affiliated with any company named here.

    Uzbekistan is newer to device trials and is drawing attention from MedTech sponsors. ClinicalTrials.gov already lists device studies with Uzbek sites that are explicitly labelled first-in-human (FIH), such as NCT07811024 and NCT06700226. If you searched for “clinical trials Uzbekistan medical device”, this page covers the new rules, what the country offers, and how a Latin American FIH compares.

    The 2026 device-trial regulation

    The Minister of Health approved a Regulation on the procedure for conducting clinical trials of medical equipment. It was registered by the Ministry of Justice on 7 January 2026 (No. 3746) and published in the state language, Uzbek. According to the legal news service Norma.uz, it entered into force on 26 February 2026. Summaries by Norma.uz and a Tashkent law firm describe these main points:

    • Exemptions from clinical trials for registration: Class I (low-risk) devices, in vitro diagnostics prequalified by the World Health Organization (WHO) or registered with WHO support, devices already clinically tested in Uzbekistan, and, per the law firm, some devices with a proven record of safe use.
    • Who decides: an Expert Council of the Ministry of Health decides whether a trial is required, on the recommendation of the Center for the Safety of Pharmaceutical Products.
    • Minimum size: trials under the regulation must enroll at least 20 subjects, scaled to the device’s risk class, and multi-center designs are possible for higher-risk devices.
    • Parallel review: under the medical device registration rules adopted in November 2025, laboratory testing and specialized expert review run at the same time. An independent expert checks the clinical site, the trial design and the assessment methods.
    • Ethics: a trial cannot start without a positive opinion from the designated ethics committee. Written informed consent is required.
    • Sponsor duties: providing the device, insuring subjects, monitoring and auditing, and reporting adverse events.

    An important caveat for FIH planning: the regulation is written around state registration in Uzbekistan. How it applies to a foreign sponsor’s small FIH protocol that is not aimed at Uzbek registration, including the 20-subject minimum, is something to confirm in writing with local regulatory counsel before you commit.

    What is published about timelines

    We found no official end-to-end timeline for device trials under the 2026 regulation. Because the rules are new, treat any quoted clock as an estimate until you have a written, study-specific calendar.

    Standards and U.S. data acceptance

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepts device data from outside the United States under 21 CFR 812.28 when the study is well designed and well conducted under good clinical practice (GCP), with independent ethics review and informed consent, and FDA can validate the data. The data can support an investigational device exemption (IDE), 510(k), De Novo or premarket approval (PMA) submission. Plan to run to ISO 14155, the international GCP standard for device investigations, whatever the local minimum requires.

    Patients, sites and device experience

    • Population: about 36.4 million (World Bank, 2024).
    • ClinicalTrials.gov (28 September 2026): 23 interventional device records list an Uzbek site, and 3 have “device feasibility” as their primary purpose. The footprint is small but growing.
    • Clinical Accelerator lists Uzbekistan on its coverage map and names a country lead there.

    Recruitment reality: a large national population does not mean a large eligible pool at the sites you will actually use. Strict inclusion criteria and referral patterns concentrated in a few hospitals can slow enrollment. Ask for site-level screening numbers for your criteria.

    Logistics from the United States

    • Time zone: Tashkent is on UTC+5 (Coordinated Universal Time plus five hours), 9–10 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time.
    • Language: the regulation is published in Uzbek. Confirm the translation requirements for the protocol and informed consent form (ICF).
    • Check the U.S. Department of State travel advisory and current flight routings before you plan visits.

    Genuine strengths

    Uzbekistan has a sizeable population, a brand-new device-trial rulebook with defined exemptions and a parallel-review design, and FIH device studies already on ClinicalTrials.gov. For sponsors who want an emerging geography with engaged investigators, it is worth evaluating.

    How Latin America compares

    • Same FDA rule: 21 CFR 812.28.
    • Established pathways: Brazil’s ANVISA (Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária) regulates device investigations under RDC 837/2023, and our Brazil hub publishes 6–10 weeks for ANVISA plus ethics review.
    • Published clocks: our Panama hub publishes 3–5 week ethics approval and a 6–8 week average to first patient with bioaccess® coordination.
    • Time zone: 0–2 hours from U.S. Eastern, compared with 9–10 for Tashkent.
    • U.S. continuity: bioaccess® is headquartered in Miami, and its sister organization Amavita Research Services runs a Miami device and early feasibility study site.
    • Trade-offs: Spanish or Portuguese documents and investigational import permits.

    Other country guides: Kazakhstan

    Frequently asked questions

    Does Uzbekistan have rules for medical device clinical trials?

    Yes. A Ministry of Health regulation on clinical trials of medical equipment was registered on 7 January 2026 (No. 3746) and took effect on 26 February 2026.

    Who decides whether a device trial is needed in Uzbekistan?

    An Expert Council of the Ministry of Health decides, on the recommendation of the Center for the Safety of Pharmaceutical Products. A positive ethics committee opinion is required before the trial starts.

    Is there a minimum number of patients?

    Published summaries say trials under the regulation must enroll at least 20 subjects. Confirm how this applies to a small FIH protocol that is not aimed at Uzbek registration.

    Will the FDA accept data from Uzbekistan?

    It can. Under 21 CFR 812.28, FDA accepts data from outside the United States from studies run under GCP that it can validate. The decision is made case by case.

    Next step

    Weighing Uzbekistan against a Latin American start? Schedule time with Julio G. Martinez-Clark, CEO of bioaccess®.

  • Why Chile’s ISP Regulates Medical Device Clinical Trials Differently From Drug Trials, and Where It Doesn’t

    Sponsors comparing Latin American countries often hear a shortcut about Chile: device studies only need ethics approval and an import permit, and the regulator stays out of the way. That shortcut is out of date. Chile’s Instituto de Salud Pública (ISP) authorizes both drug trials and device trials. The real differences sit somewhere else: in which agency inside ISP handles the file, which rules were written with devices in mind, and how settled the device guidance is.

    The short version

    • Same legal gate. Since Ley 20.850 (2015), Código Sanitario Article 111 A requires an ISP “autorización especial para uso provisional con fines de investigación” for pharmaceutical products and medical devices (“elementos de uso médico”) used in research on humans.
    • Ethics first. The ISP application comes after approval under Article 10 of Ley 20.120, which requires a favorable report from an accredited Comité Ético Científico (CEC).
    • Different agencies. Drugs go through ISP’s Agencia Nacional de Medicamentos (ANAMED). Devices go through the Agencia Nacional de Dispositivos Médicos (ANDIM).
    • Different rulebooks. Several older Chilean research instruments, including Norma Técnica 57, were written for medicines. The device route rests mainly on the Código Sanitario and device-specific ISP guidance, and some of that guidance is still being finalized.

    Two agencies inside one institute

    ISP is Chile’s national regulator for medicines and medical devices. Drug work, including ISP’s clinical studies pages for investigational medicines, sits under ANAMED. Device work sits in ANDIM. On its agency page, ISP describes ANDIM as responsible for the safety and performance of medical devices, including in vitro diagnostic devices (IVDs), through authorization, control, inspection and surveillance across the whole device life cycle.

    A standalone device goes to ANDIM. A combination product may involve both.

    What is the same for drug and device trials

    The CEC review comes first

    Ley 20.120 is Chile’s law on scientific research in human beings. Its regulation, Decreto Supremo (DS) 114 of 2010, as amended in 2013, requires every study to have “una revisión e informe favorable de un Comité Ético Científico acreditado.” For multicenter studies, one accredited committee does the scientific and ethical review, and each site adds a local feasibility evaluation. Under DS 114 Article 18, the CEC must issue its report within 45 days of submission, a deadline it can extend once by 20 days for stated reasons.

    Article 111 A then makes the order explicit: the ISP application is filed “previa aprobación conforme a lo dispuesto en el artículo 10 de la ley N°20.120,” with the protocol, the informed consent form, the insurance policy and any other document the regulation requires. For devices and drugs alike, the CEC letter comes before the ISP file.

    ISP issues a provisional-use authorization

    Article 111 A says the authorization is required for any drug or medical device used in research that lacks a sanitary registration, or that has one but will be used differently from how it was registered. The authorization lasts up to one year and can be renewed. The product can only be used as the authorization allows, and ISP must keep a public registry of the research it authorizes.

    Shared obligations during and after the study

    • Safety reporting: adverse events go to ISP and the CEC, under pharmacovigilance rules for drugs and technovigilance rules for devices (Article 111 B).
    • Post-trial access: the authorization holder must continue treatment at no cost while it remains useful, as described in the protocol (Article 111 C). Our note on post-trial access in Chile under Ley 20.850 covers how this works in practice.
    • Site accreditation and inspection: research centers must be accredited by ISP, which can inspect protocols, consent, GCP compliance and safety reporting (Article 111 D).
    • Liability and insurance: authorization holders are liable for harm caused by the research (Article 111 E) and must carry civil liability insurance under the applicable regulation (Article 111 F). For devices, Article 111 F says a supreme decree sets the device classes for which insurance is mandatory. Our note on Chile clinical trial insurance covers the ethics-committee side.
    • Institutional sign-off: under DS 114 Article 10 bis, the director of each research site authorizes the study within 20 business days of the favorable CEC review and, where applicable, the ISP authorization.

    Where drug and device trials genuinely differ

    The older rulebook was written for medicines

    Much of what sponsors read about Chilean trial rules comes from instruments that name drugs, not devices:

    • Código Sanitario Article 99 lets ISP provisionally authorize the use of pharmaceutical products without registration for clinical trials, subject to a favorable CEC report.
    • DS 114 Article 7 gives ISP the power to “autorizar el uso de medicamentos con o sin registro sanitario, con fines de investigación científica y ensayos clínicos.” The article speaks of medicines only.
    • Norma Técnica 57, approved by Ministry of Health (MINSAL) Exempt Resolution 952 of 2001, is titled “Regulación de la ejecución de ensayos clínicos que utilizan productos farmacéuticos en seres humanos.”

    For devices, the legal basis is Código Sanitario Article 111 A. It is backed by Article 111 letter g, which says ISP must authorize the use and disposal of the medical elements covered by Article 111, and by DS 825 of 1998, the regulation on the control of medical-use products and elements. A drug-trial checklist will not map cleanly onto a device file.

    What ISP looks at

    For drugs, ISP has said publicly that it assesses the investigational medicine “teniendo a la vista el protocolo del ensayo clínico, el manual del investigador y certificaciones” such as Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and Good Manufacturing Practice, and decides by reasoned resolution (ISP, 2020).

    For devices, ISP ran a public consultation from 5 June to 5 July 2026 on a guide explaining how to organize an application for provisional-use authorization of a medical device in clinical research in humans. Check whether the final guide has been published before you assemble your file. Until it is, build the dossier around ISO 14155:2020, the international standard for good clinical practice in medical device investigations: the clinical investigation plan, the investigator’s brochure, and the risk analysis behind them. Then confirm the exact document list with ANDIM.

    A possible exemption for low-risk devices

    Article 111 A lets MINSAL exempt, by supreme decree, “los elementos de uso médico cuya utilización no conlleve un riesgo relevante para las personas.” Article 111 A offers no equivalent carve-out for drugs. We have not confirmed that an exemption decree is in force, so treat this as something to check for your device, not an assumption.

    Commercial registration status plays a different role

    Most medical devices in Chile still do not need an ISP sanitary registration to be sold. ISP’s own registration page lists a short set of products under mandatory registration: latex gloves, condoms, sterile hypodermic needles and syringes, portable automated external defibrillators, HIV in vitro diagnostic (IVD) tests, immunohematology reagents and IVD reagents for screening blood donations. Exempt Decree 25 of 2026 adds 39 more. Registration becomes mandatory for 13 of them 24 months after publication (19 March 2028) and for the other 26 after 36 months (19 March 2029). The decree governs manufacture, import, sale and distribution, and it does not mention clinical investigation. An investigational device therefore does not need a registro sanitario. It needs the Article 111 A authorization. Our Chile ISP clinical-trial path for medical devices explains how to keep the trial file and the Decree 25 registration file on separate timelines.

    What this means for your timeline

    Because the CEC review comes before the ISP application, a Chilean device study runs in sequence: ethics review, then ISP authorization and investigational import, then the site director’s authorization. The primary sources set some of the clocks: 45 days for the CEC report (extendable once by 20 days) and 20 business days for the site director. For the ISP step, our Chile ISP device trial page plans on about 30 business days after a complete package, to be confirmed at filing. For overall site activation, our phase-by-phase site activation timeline guide shows that, in our recent plans, ethics and regulatory approval of a complete submission in the fast-corridor countries, Chile included, took about 1 to 3 months, and activation from protocol synopsis to first patient about 8 to 9 months. Treat both as planning figures, not guarantees.

    So the fair comparison with the US is not “no regulator review in Chile.” It is an ISP device authorization that follows an accredited CEC review, with legal deadlines on the ethics and site-director steps.

    Chile, IMDRF and using the data elsewhere

    ISP says Chile has been an affiliate member of the International Medical Device Regulators Forum (IMDRF) since November 2023. Affiliate status signals regulatory convergence. It does not mean ISP accepts another regulator’s decision in place of its own trial authorization.

    If you plan to use Chilean data outside Chile, design the study for that from day one. Under 21 CFR 812.28, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can accept a foreign clinical investigation that supports an investigational device exemption (IDE) or a marketing submission, if the study was well designed, well conducted and followed GCP, including independent ethics committee review and informed consent, and FDA is able to validate the data, by inspection or other means if needed. In Europe, the EU Medical Device Regulation (MDR) 2017/745 sets out clinical investigation requirements in Article 62 and Annex XV. Your notified body will judge how data generated outside the EU fits your clinical evaluation.

    Checklist for device sponsors considering Chile

    • Confirm the file goes to ANDIM, and flag early any drug or biologic component.
    • Choose a lead accredited CEC and each site’s local review route before you finalize the protocol.
    • Prepare the Article 111 A package: protocol, Spanish informed consent form, insurance policy, and ISO 14155-aligned device documents.
    • Check whether ISP has published the final device provisional-use guide, and whether any low-risk exemption or insurance-class decree applies to your device.
    • Plan investigational import alongside the ISP step, not after it.
    • Keep any Decree 25 commercial registration work on a separate timeline.

    Frequently asked questions

    Does Chile’s ISP approve medical device clinical trials, or only the import?

    ISP does more than clear the import. Código Sanitario Article 111 A, added by Ley 20.850 in 2015, says drugs and medical devices used in research on humans need a special provisional-use authorization from ISP. That applies when the device has no sanitary registration, or when it has one but will be used differently from how it was registered.

    Does the ethics committee or ISP go first in Chile?

    The ethics committee goes first. Under Article 111 A, the sponsor files with ISP only after the study has been approved under Article 10 of Ley 20.120, which requires a favorable report from an accredited Comité Ético Científico (CEC). The application must include the protocol, the informed consent form and the insurance policy.

    Does Norma Técnica 57 apply to medical device trials?

    Not on its face. Norma Técnica 57, approved by Ministry of Health Exempt Resolution 952 of 2001, regulates clinical trials that use pharmaceutical products in humans. The device rules come from Código Sanitario Articles 111 and 111 A, Decreto Supremo 825 of 1998 and ISP guidance. Confirm current requirements with ISP.

    Does an investigational device need a registro sanitario before a trial in Chile?

    No. Commercial sanitary registration and research use are separate. Article 111 A covers devices that do not have a registration, which is why the trial needs ISP’s provisional-use authorization instead. Exempt Decree 25 of 2026 widens commercial registration but says nothing about clinical investigations.

    Can data from a Chile device study support an FDA or EU submission?

    It can, if the study is designed for that. Under 21 CFR 812.28, FDA can accept a well-designed, well-conducted foreign study that followed good clinical practice, including independent ethics review and informed consent, if FDA can validate the data. For Europe, plan against EU MDR Article 62 and Annex XV. Acceptance is decided case by case.

    This article is general information, not legal advice. Requirements change, and ISP’s device research guide was under public consultation in 2026. Verify current requirements with ISP and your CEC before filing.

    Considering Chile for a device study? bioaccess® can map feasibility, CEC routes, ISP authorization and site access for your protocol. Contact bioaccess® at bioaccessla.com to start.

  • Karla Alfaro, MD: El Salvador Cervical-Screening Investigator Is Not the CRO

    Names and roles cited from live ClinicalTrials.gov records NCT07461818, NCT06815939, NCT07538050, and NCT07232355 (overall-official, central-contact, and location-contact fields), checked 27 September 2026. Registry rows are not a bioaccess® claim that we ran these studies. General information, not legal or regulatory advice. Confirm current El Salvador and U.S. regulatory and ethics rules with qualified advisers. We do not reprint emails or phones and do not add affiliations beyond the registry strings cited here.

    If you searched Karla Alfaro MD El Salvador, Dr Karla Alfaro clinical trial, Karla Alfaro Basic Health International, or “go direct to Karla Alfaro,” you followed investigator and contact strings ClinicalTrials.gov publishes. The work visible on those records is cervical cancer screening and pre-cancer treatment in El Salvador. A named principal investigator is not a first-in-human (FIH) medical-device contract research organization (CRO), and a personal reply is not the operator of the national file.

    bioaccess®’s position is simple and it is not adversarial: the investigator is part of the site. The CRO still owns the Superintendencia de Regulación Sanitaria (SRS) and Comité Nacional de Ética de la Investigación en Salud (CNEIS) filings, investigational import, insurance, ISO 14155 monitoring, and the 21 CFR 812.28 package.

    Registry roles, copied as listed (checked 27 September 2026)

    Registry count: ALL 4 / DEVICE 2. All four records are listed as RECRUITING.

    Record Sponsor Type / intervention Status Role(s) listed for Karla Alfaro
    NCT07461818 (POC) Basic Health International, Inc. Interventional; IRIS™ Thermal Ablation Device (DEVICE); estimated 5,000 RECRUITING Overall PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR (affiliation Basic Health International, Inc.), shared with Rachel Masch, MD; central CONTACT
    NCT06815939 (OPTICS) DL Analytics Interventional screening; interventions include the EVA System (DEVICE); estimated 10,000 RECRUITING Overall PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR (affiliation Basic Health International, Inc.), shared with David Levitz, PhD (DL Analytics); site PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR and CONTACT at “Ministerio de Salud,” San Salvador
    NCT07538050 (SCALE AIM 2) The Cleveland Clinic Interventional; same-day screen and treat (BEHAVIORAL); estimated 1,000 RECRUITING Site PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR and CONTACT (listed as “Karla Alfaro, MD, MPH”) at “Ministry of Health Clinics,” San Salvador
    NCT07232355 (PROGRESS) Atila Biosystems Inc. Observational; estimated 5,000 RECRUITING (see note) Site CONTACT at Basic Health International, San Salvador

    Notes from the records themselves: OPTICS lists an estimated primary completion of 31 July 2026, which has passed, and an estimated study completion of 31 December 2026. PROGRESS lists estimated completion in June 2026, which has passed, and was last updated 19 November 2025, so its recruiting status is unconfirmed. SCALE AIM 2 started 16 April 2026. POC started 1 January 2026. None of the four records calls itself first-in-human, and none names a CRO.

    Facility page for the site she is most often tied to on the registry: Basic Health International San Salvador. The Ministry of Health locations are listed only as generic strings (“Ministerio de Salud,” “Ministry of Health Clinics”), so we do not name a specific clinic.

    The contact is the contact. The CRO is the operator.

    What a named investigator can typically do when a sponsor “goes direct”:

    • Discuss investigator interest and whether a protocol fits an existing service.
    • Share local research rules and how the cases would physically run.
    • Estimate local visit, staffing, and procedure effort for the cases they will run.

    What a contact is not built to own for an investigational device:

    • SRS authorization and the CNEIS packet, filed in parallel on the national digital platform.
    • Investigational import and device accountability — see importer of record for clinical trial devices in Latin America.
    • Clinical trial insurance. Required. We will not invent a premium here.
    • ISO 14155 monitoring, electronic data capture (EDC), serious adverse event (SAE) reporting, and the trial master file (TMF).
    • The 21 CFR 812.28 package. Eligibility is not clearance, and a site agreement does not produce it.

    Going direct is how you confirm a room and a person. It is not how you open an investigational file.

    Regulator, ethics, timeline, and cost (published figures)

    These lines are copied from the published bioaccess® post El Salvador first-in-human cost and timeline vs the United States, not re-averaged here:

    • The live El Salvador hub already publishes a 30–60 day study-startup band via parallel review by the Superintendencia de Regulación Sanitaria (SRS) and the Comité Nacional de Ética de la Investigación en Salud (CNEIS) on one digital platform. That band is investigation authorization plus ethics — not commercial registro.
    • SRS replaced the former Dirección Nacional de Medicamentos (DNM) in August 2024. Ethics stays centralized at CNEIS.
    • The El Salvador hub already publishes roughly 60% cost savings versus equivalent U.S. programs, plus a dollarized (U.S. dollar) economy. That is orientation from the country page, not a formal study for your device.

    Ask for a study-specific calendar before you put a single date on a board slide. A site email is not an SRS authorization. Trial authorization and commercial registro are separate files; see CNEIS/SRS trial authorization vs registro.

    All bioaccess® device protocols are run under ISO 14155 and the Declaration of Helsinki. Foreign clinical data can be eligible for U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) submission and review under 21 CFR 812.28. Eligibility is not clearance or approval. See OUS FIH and FDA IDE.

    Not a critique of the investigator

    Karla Alfaro, MD is a named principal investigator on public cervical-screening and pre-cancer treatment records in El Salvador. That is evidence of a person doing registered research, not a punchline. Roles are as listed. Hire the operator. Activate a site only if it fits.

    Colombia note

    Colombia remains a strong market-access geography and a historical first-in-human geography for bioaccess®. bioaccess® runs first-in-human studies in Colombia now, and Colombia’s regulatory framework is changing for the better. We pick the country the device needs.

    Frequently asked questions

    Can I email Karla Alfaro, MD directly about a device study?

    You can try through whatever channel the public registry exposes. A named investigator can discuss clinical interest. That person cannot, by appearing on ClinicalTrials.gov, become your SRS applicant, importer of record, insurer, ISO 14155 monitor, or 21 CFR 812.28 packager.

    What roles does ClinicalTrials.gov show for her?

    Overall PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR on NCT07461818 and NCT06815939; central CONTACT on NCT07461818; site PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR and CONTACT on NCT06815939 and NCT07538050; site CONTACT on NCT07232355.

    Did bioaccess® run any of these studies?

    No public bioaccess® page says so, and the records do not name a CRO. We will not invent that claim.

    Next step

    Start as the operator: contact bioaccess® or First-in-Human CRO. Country system: clinical trials in El Salvador. Facility sibling: Basic Health International San Salvador.

  • Basic Health International San Salvador: Cervical Pre-cancer Device Site, Not the CRO

    Facts cited from live ClinicalTrials.gov records NCT07461818 and NCT07232355 (checked 27 September 2026), plus collaborator fields on NCT06815939 and NCT05431699, and the published bioaccess® post El Salvador first-in-human cost and timeline. General information, not legal or regulatory advice. Confirm current El Salvador and U.S. regulatory and ethics rules with qualified advisers. bioaccess® is not listed on these records and no bioaccess® page claims these studies.

    If you searched Basic Health International El Salvador, IRIS thermal ablation clinical trial San Salvador, cervical pre-cancer trial El Salvador, or “go direct to Basic Health International,” you followed a facility string ClinicalTrials.gov actually published: Basic Health International, San Salvador, El Salvador. On the registry it is both a study sponsor and a study site. It is not a first-in-human (FIH) medical-device contract research organization (CRO), and it is not the operator of the national file.

    bioaccess®’s position is simple and it is not adversarial: a site is a site. The CRO still owns the Superintendencia de Regulación Sanitaria (SRS) and Comité Nacional de Ética de la Investigación en Salud (CNEIS) filings, investigational import, insurance, ISO 14155 monitoring, and the 21 CFR 812.28 package for a sponsor’s own device.

    What the registry says (checked 27 September 2026)

    Registry count for the facility string “Basic Health International” in El Salvador: ALL 2 / DEVICE 1. Both records are listed as RECRUITING.

    NCT07461818 — POC (device, RECRUITING)

    NCT07461818 — acronym POC, brief title “Point of Care – Triage and Treatment for Cervical Pre-cancer.” Lead sponsor: Basic Health International, Inc.; collaborators The Cleveland Clinic, Liger Medical Llc, and Medical College of Wisconsin. Status: RECRUITING. Actual start 1 January 2026; estimated enrollment 5,000; estimated primary completion January 2029; estimated study completion August 2029. First posted 10 March 2026; last update posted 28 August 2026.

    • Intervention: IRIS™ Thermal Ablation Device (type DEVICE), used in a modified two-probe thermal ablation protocol.
    • Conditions: cervical precancer, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Eligibility: women aged 30 to 49.
    • Primary outcome listed: 1-year cure rate of CIN2+. The summary also describes a retrospective look at an automated visual evaluation (AVE) triage method against histopathology.
    • Named people, copied as listed: overall principal investigators Karla Alfaro, MD and Rachel Masch, MD (both affiliated with Basic Health International, Inc.); central contact Karla Alfaro, MD; site contact Leticia Lopez, MD.
    • Location row: Basic Health International — San Salvador — El Salvador — RECRUITING. It is the only location on the record.

    NCT07232355 — PROGRESS (observational, RECRUITING, record looks stale)

    NCT07232355 — acronym PROGRESS, brief title “Prevention of Cervical Cancer Using the Genotyping Screening and Same-day Self-sampling.” Lead sponsor: Atila Biosystems Inc.; collaborator Basic Health International, Inc. Study type observational; estimated enrollment 5,000; actual start 24 August 2023. Status: RECRUITING, but the estimated primary and study completion dates (June 2026) have passed and the last update was posted 19 November 2025, so treat the status as unconfirmed. Locations are listed in El Salvador, Honduras, and the United States. The San Salvador row is Basic Health International, with Karla Alfaro, MD as site contact.

    Where Basic Health International appears without a site row

    The registry also lists Basic Health International, Inc. as a collaborator on two Ministry of Health studies — NCT06815939 (OPTICS, sponsor DL Analytics, RECRUITING) and NCT05431699 (SCALE, sponsor The Cleveland Clinic, ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING) — whose San Salvador location is listed as “Ministerio de Salud,” not Basic Health International. We do not count those as site rows here.

    None of these records calls itself first-in-human, and none names a CRO.

    The site is the site. The CRO is the operator.

    What Basic Health International can typically do when a sponsor “goes direct”:

    • Discuss investigator interest and whether a protocol fits an existing service.
    • Share local research rules and how the cases would physically run.
    • Estimate local visit, staffing, and procedure effort for the cases they will run.

    What a site is not built to own for an investigational device:

    • SRS authorization and the CNEIS packet, filed in parallel on the national digital platform.
    • Investigational import and device accountability — see importer of record for clinical trial devices in Latin America.
    • Clinical trial insurance. Required. We will not invent a premium here.
    • ISO 14155 monitoring, electronic data capture (EDC), serious adverse event (SAE) reporting, and the trial master file (TMF).
    • The 21 CFR 812.28 package. Eligibility is not clearance, and a site agreement does not produce it.

    Going direct is how you confirm a room and a person. It is not how you open an investigational file.

    Regulator, ethics, timeline, and cost (published figures)

    These lines are copied from the published bioaccess® post El Salvador first-in-human cost and timeline vs the United States, not re-averaged here:

    • The live El Salvador hub already publishes a 30–60 day study-startup band via parallel review by the Superintendencia de Regulación Sanitaria (SRS) and the Comité Nacional de Ética de la Investigación en Salud (CNEIS) on one digital platform. That band is investigation authorization plus ethics — not commercial registro.
    • SRS replaced the former Dirección Nacional de Medicamentos (DNM) in August 2024. Ethics stays centralized at CNEIS.
    • The El Salvador hub already publishes roughly 60% cost savings versus equivalent U.S. programs, plus a dollarized (U.S. dollar) economy. That is orientation from the country page, not a formal study for your device.

    Ask for a study-specific calendar before you put a single date on a board slide. A site email is not an SRS authorization. Trial authorization and commercial registro are separate files; see CNEIS/SRS trial authorization vs registro.

    All bioaccess® device protocols are run under ISO 14155 and the Declaration of Helsinki. Foreign clinical data can be eligible for U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) submission and review under 21 CFR 812.28. Eligibility is not clearance or approval. See OUS FIH and FDA IDE.

    Named investigator

    The person who appears most often on these records has her own page: Karla Alfaro, MD. That page lists her registry roles exactly as ClinicalTrials.gov shows them.

    Separate from other San Salvador sites

    Basic Health International is not Hospital Nacional Zacamil and not the San Salvador eye clinics (Clínica Quesada, López Beltrán, El Dios de Israel). The Ministry of Health locations above are listed as generic strings and are not this facility.

    Colombia note

    Colombia remains a strong market-access geography and a historical first-in-human geography for bioaccess®. bioaccess® runs first-in-human studies in Colombia now, and Colombia’s regulatory framework is changing for the better. We pick the country the device needs.

    Frequently asked questions

    Can I contract Basic Health International directly for a device study?

    You can try. A site can discuss interest and local visit costs. It cannot become your SRS applicant, importer of record, insurer, ISO 14155 monitor, or 21 CFR 812.28 packager because a registry record listed it. Contract the CRO; let the CRO activate the site if it fits.

    Did bioaccess® run POC or PROGRESS?

    No public bioaccess® page says so, and the records do not name a CRO. We will not invent that claim.

    Is NCT07461818 a first-in-human study?

    The record does not say so. It is a recruiting treatment study of a thermal ablation device with an estimated 5,000 participants.

    Next step

    Start as the operator: contact bioaccess® or First-in-Human CRO. Country system: clinical trials in El Salvador. Registry hub: ClinicalTrials.gov FIH sites vs the CRO.

  • Centro de Diabetes Ocular El Dios de Israel: Ocumedex Vizio Glaucoma Site, Not the CRO

    Facts cited from the live ClinicalTrials.gov record NCT06591117, checked 27 September 2026, and the published bioaccess® post El Salvador first-in-human cost and timeline. General information, not legal or regulatory advice. Confirm current El Salvador and U.S. regulatory and ethics rules with qualified advisers. We name only the facility and the site contact the record lists. bioaccess® is not listed on this record and no bioaccess® page claims this study.

    If you searched Centro de Diabetes Ocular El Dios de Israel, Ocumedex Vizio El Salvador, Vizio microshunt clinical trial, or “go direct to El Dios de Israel,” you followed a facility string ClinicalTrials.gov actually published: Centro de Diabetes Ocular El Dios de Israel, S.A, El Salvador. It is a real ophthalmic site on a recruiting device study. It is not a first-in-human (FIH) contract research organization (CRO), and it is not the operator of the national file.

    bioaccess®’s position is simple and it is not adversarial: the clinic is the site. The CRO still owns the Superintendencia de Regulación Sanitaria (SRS) and Comité Nacional de Ética de la Investigación en Salud (CNEIS) filings, investigational import, insurance, ISO 14155 monitoring, and the 21 CFR 812.28 package.

    What NCT06591117 says (checked 27 September 2026)

    NCT06591117 — brief title “The Vizio Clinical Study.” Lead sponsor: Ocumedex. Status: RECRUITING. Actual start 21 March 2026; estimated enrollment 50; estimated primary completion January 2028; estimated study completion March 2029. First posted 19 September 2024; last update posted 10 July 2026.

    • Intervention: Vizio Aqueous Microshunt (type DEVICE).
    • Condition: refractory glaucoma. Brief summary: evaluate the safety and efficacy of the Vizio Aqueous Microshunt for the treatment of refractory glaucoma.
    • Primary outcomes listed: efficiency of intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction measured by applanation tonometry, and safety through adverse event reporting.
    • Design fields: interventional; primary purpose TREATMENT; phase not applicable; ages 22 to 85.
    • Location row, copied as listed: Centro de Diabetes Ocular El Dios de Israel, S.A — city field “Colonia Escalón” — El Salvador — site status RECRUITING. It is the only location on the record.
    • Named people: the site contact is listed as “Joaquin Flores, Doctor” with the role CONTACT. The record lists two sponsor central contacts and no overall official (no principal investigator is named).

    Registry count for this facility string on 27 September 2026: ALL 1 / DEVICE 1 (one record, and it has a device intervention). The record does not call the study first-in-human, and neither do we. It does not name a CRO.

    Why this page exists

    The published El Salvador country page names Ocumedex Vizio™ among its country-level FIH examples. ClinicalTrials.gov now ties that program to one named facility. This page answers the facility-name search and keeps the facts to the registry. The bioaccess® ClinicalTrials.gov hub lists this facility with the same record.

    The site is the site. The CRO is the operator.

    What El Dios de Israel can typically do when a sponsor “goes direct”:

    • Discuss investigator interest and whether a protocol fits an existing service.
    • Share local research rules and how the cases would physically run.
    • Estimate local visit, staffing, and procedure effort for the cases they will run.

    What a site is not built to own for an investigational device:

    • SRS authorization and the CNEIS packet, filed in parallel on the national digital platform.
    • Investigational import and device accountability — see importer of record for clinical trial devices in Latin America.
    • Clinical trial insurance. Required. We will not invent a premium here.
    • ISO 14155 monitoring, electronic data capture (EDC), serious adverse event (SAE) reporting, and the trial master file (TMF).
    • The 21 CFR 812.28 package. Eligibility is not clearance, and a site agreement does not produce it.

    Going direct is how you confirm a room and a person. It is not how you open an investigational file.

    Site versus CRO

    Workstream What the clinic (site) typically owns What the CRO still owns
    Glaucoma surgery capability Operating room, surgeons, local staff, source documents Protocol fit, training, device accountability
    Ethics Local coordination CNEIS packet, informed consent, investigator’s brochure alignment
    National authority Not the permit holder by appearing on an NCT row SRS investigation authorization
    Import Receiving and storage if contracted Importer of record
    Quality Clinic quality and the case ISO 14155 monitoring, EDC, SAE, TMF
    FDA conversation Source documents from cases they run 21 CFR 812.28 narrative — eligibility, not clearance

    Regulator, ethics, timeline, and cost (published figures)

    These lines are copied from the published bioaccess® post El Salvador first-in-human cost and timeline vs the United States, not re-averaged here:

    • The live El Salvador hub already publishes a 30–60 day study-startup band via parallel review by the Superintendencia de Regulación Sanitaria (SRS) and the Comité Nacional de Ética de la Investigación en Salud (CNEIS) on one digital platform. That band is investigation authorization plus ethics — not commercial registro.
    • SRS replaced the former Dirección Nacional de Medicamentos (DNM) in August 2024. Ethics stays centralized at CNEIS.
    • The El Salvador hub already publishes roughly 60% cost savings versus equivalent U.S. programs, plus a dollarized (U.S. dollar) economy. That is orientation from the country page, not a formal study for your device.

    Ask for a study-specific calendar before you put a single date on a board slide. A site email is not an SRS authorization. Trial authorization and commercial registro are separate files; see CNEIS/SRS trial authorization vs registro.

    All bioaccess® device protocols are run under ISO 14155 and the Declaration of Helsinki. Foreign clinical data can be eligible for U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) submission and review under 21 CFR 812.28. Eligibility is not clearance or approval. See OUS FIH and FDA IDE.

    The San Salvador eye clinics are separate

    Three named El Salvador eye facilities carry active device records on ClinicalTrials.gov. Keep them apart:

    Same country, different buildings, different sponsors. Registry-wide context sits on the ClinicalTrials.gov FIH sites vs the CRO hub.

    Colombia note

    Colombia remains a strong market-access geography and a historical first-in-human geography for bioaccess®. bioaccess® runs first-in-human studies in Colombia now, and Colombia’s regulatory framework is changing for the better. We pick the country the device needs.

    Frequently asked questions

    Can I contract Centro de Diabetes Ocular El Dios de Israel directly?

    You can try. A clinic can discuss interest and local surgical costs. It cannot become your SRS applicant, importer of record, insurer, ISO 14155 monitor, or 21 CFR 812.28 packager because Ocumedex listed it. Contract the CRO; let the CRO activate the site if it fits your protocol.

    Did bioaccess® run the Vizio study?

    No public bioaccess® page says so, and the record does not name a CRO. We will not invent that claim.

    Who is the investigator?

    The record names no principal investigator. It lists “Joaquin Flores, Doctor” as the site contact (role CONTACT). We do not add a title, specialty, email, or phone the record does not show.

    Is this a first-in-human study?

    The record does not say so. Its primary purpose field is TREATMENT, with estimated enrollment 50. It is a recruiting glaucoma device study at a named El Salvador site.

    Next step

    Start as the operator: contact bioaccess® or First-in-Human CRO. Country system: clinical trials in El Salvador. Sister sites: Clínica Quesada, López Beltrán.