How APAC Has Turned into Clinical Trial Behemoth

From being a consistent participant in clinical trial conduct worldwide, the APAC has emerged as a major power. A number of causes, including the region's thriving drug development innovation and the ongoing presence of international pharmaceutical corporations conducting multiregional studies, are driving this growth.

Over the past decade, the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region has emerged as a global leader in clinical trial conduct. In 2021, nearly half of all new clinical trials conducted globally were in the APAC region. This surge is evident in the significant rise in clinical trial-related activities in this region. From 2012 to 2021, the number of trials initiated in the APAC region (Phases I-IV) has nearly doubled, from 4,562 to 7,718, with an average annual increase of 5.4 per cent.

No Clinical Trials conducted from 2012 to 2021

Notably, this growth has accelerated in recent years, with double-digit increases in new trial starts since 2016. In contrast, clinical trials outside of APAC have declined slightly over the same period, with an annual decrease of 0.4 per cent. This trend suggests that APAC could become the dominant region for clinical trials soon. This is a remarkable shift for a region that traditionally lagged behind the US and Europe, and it highlights APAC's position at the forefront of clinical research.

Why’s APAC Leading?