WIRB-Copernicus Group Appoints Shai Feinsod as Regional Executive to Provide Ethical Review and Consulting Services to Israel

PRINCETON, New Jersey, Oct. 31, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The WIRB-Copernicus Group ("WCG"), the world's largest provider of regulatory and ethical review services for clinical research, today announced the recent appointment of Shai Feinsod as Regional Executive for Israel. Mr. Feinsod will establish a greater presence for WCG to provide Israeli companies and clients with its wide range of clinical research services, including high-quality, efficient ethical review for U.S.-based clinical trials.

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"WIRB-Copernicus Group is continually increasing our presence in new regions and the appointment of Shai Feinsod is another important step in broadening our international reach," stated Donald A. Deieso, Ph.D., Executive Chairman of the WIRB-Copernicus Group. "Israel is a major hub for biotechnology and generics development and, for the first time, companies in Israel will have access to WCG's ethical review consultants and unrivaled ethical review services for U.S-based clinical trials."

Mr. Feinsod is a veteran healthcare industry executive and for over 20 years has been focused on assisting Israeli medical technology companies in penetrating the American market, supporting them in all aspects of clinical and business operations, including increasing patient safety and improving clinical outcomes.

"I am extremely pleased to join the WIRB-Copernicus Group and to help bring their industry-leading ethical review and consulting services to Israel," stated Mr. Feinsod. "The suite of WCG services will significantly reduce the complexities encountered by Israeli companies sponsoring US-based clinical research, while ensuring the highest standard of research ethics and patient safety."

In addition to the services directly offered by WCG, the new office in Israel will work with institutions in the region, including hospitals and research centers, to help them attract more international research activity through participation in WCG's Global Affiliate Institution Network (GAIN). This relationship with WCG through GAIN will allow Israeli hospitals to enjoy a preferred status with international study sponsors as sites for clinical trials, since participants in this worldwide network must adhere to the highest ethical and safety standards.

Prior to joining WCG, Mr. Feinsod founded Healthcare Strategies, which is dedicated to helping Israeli biotechnology companies to penetrate U.S. markets. Before that, he served as Chief Clinical Solutions Officer for PeriGen (formerly E&C Medical Intelligence), an Israeli-founded but US-based technology-enabled risk-reduction company. In his role with PeriGen, Mr. Feinsod oversaw the development and clinical trials of the company's technology solution, implemented its first solutions in the United States, hired and trained the first American team, and built and maintained a large portion of its existing client relationships. Earlier in his career, Mr. Feinsod served as Vice President of Operations for Dune Medical Devices, a healthcare information technology company.

Mr. Feinsod is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and holds a B.S. in Medical Science from Tel Aviv University, where he also attended Medical School.     

About The WIRB-Copernicus Group
Transforming Ethical Review

The WIRB-Copernicus Group (WCG) is the world's largest provider of regulatory and ethical review services for human research. With eight individual AAHRPP-accredited panels, over 100 experienced board members, and over 60 years of combined experience in protocol and study-related review, the WIRB-Copernicus Group brings more expertise to the industry than any other ethical solutions provider.

Members of the WIRB-Copernicus Group family of companies include Western Institutional Review Board (WIRB) and Copernicus Group IRB (CGIRB), the nation's leading independent institutional review boards, and IRBNet, the top research compliance software supporting institutions. It is the mission of the WIRB-Copernicus Group to meet the highest standards of ethics and science, and to ensure the safety and welfare of research subjects worldwide. For more information, please visit www.wcgirb.com.