Clinilabs Announces New Executive Appointments

Clinilabs has appointed Bob Dagher, M.D., as chief medical officer and Waqar Ahmed Siddiqui, M.D., as principal investigator of its Eatontown, N.J., Clinical Research Unit (CRU).

Dr. Dagher will provide strategic and medical leadership to the organization, while Dr. Siddiqui will oversee research projects at the CRU. Together, they will support the design, development, and execution of clinical programs for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device sponsors advancing therapies for psychiatric, neurological, substance use, and rare CNS (central nervous system) disorders.

“Clinilabs has earned the trust of sponsors by combining deep scientific expertise, medical leadership, and operational excellence with a track record of execution from first-in-human studies through regulatory approval,” Clinilabs Chief Operating Officer Eileen McAuley stated. “Drs. Dagher and Siddiqui bring highly complementary experience spanning every stage of the clinical development process—from strategic drug development and regulatory leadership to hands-on clinical research and patient care. Their appointments further strengthen our ability to guide sponsors through increasingly complex development programs while supporting the delivery of new therapies to patients with unmet medical needs.”

Dr. Dagher joins Clinilabs with more than 20 years of executive leadership spanning clinical development, medical affairs, and regulatory strategy across neuropsychiatry, neuroimmunology, and rare diseases. He has served as chief medical officer for four biotechnology companies, leading development programs from first-in-human studies through Phase 3 clinical trials and biologics license application (BLA) submissions across mood disorders, psychotic disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, and rare CNS disorders.

Dr. Siddiqui has had a distinguished career in psychiatry, behavioral health leadership, and clinical research. A board-certified psychiatrist and accomplished principal investigator, he has led numerous clinical trials evaluating therapies for psychiatric, neurological, and musculoskeletal disorders while overseeing major behavioral health organizations. Most recently, he was clinical director and chief medical officer of South Beach State Psychiatric Hospital in New York City. Previously, he served as chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at Hoboken University Medical Center and as medical director of the Behavioral Health Center at JFK Medical Center in New Jersey.

Clinilabs is a global, full-service contract research organization dedicated to CNS drug, device, and technology development, combining scientific expertise, proven processes, advanced technology, and a global footprint across North America, Europe. The company manages Phase 1-4 trials that accelerate treatments for psychiatric, neurological, and substance use disorders, as well as rare and ultra-rare CNS diseases.