The regulatory agencies in the Middle East and African region that were included in this study share a common goal with the research-based pharmaceutical companies that they regulate. This is to ensure that new medicines become available to patients in a timely and efficient manner, with appropriate safeguards for the public health. The CMR International Institute study aimed to identify the factors that promote best practices among regulatory agencies and to identify barriers to the timely authorisation of safe and effective new medicines, in the region.