The Globalization of Clinical Trials

Clinical research, like many industries, has become increasingly globalized during the 21^st century. Emerging markets in Asia and South America offer access to diverse patient populations, a greater number of subjects for recruitment, more opportunity for global collaboration and increased inclusivity. The globalization of clinical trials reflects a dynamic and interconnected approach to advancing medical knowledge and improving patient care on a global scale. 

The US remains the largest player in the global clinical trial market, due to the size of this pharmaceutical industry, large population, vast investigator network and demand for healthcare. Canada ranks third overall in terms of countries conducting the most clinical trials. A robust network of prestigious universities, and a lower overall business cost are major factors in why study sponsors choose to bring trials to Canada. New regulation on the requirements for the length of document storage (introduced in June 2021) have reduced total administrative work and costs. 

The top 10 countries conducting the most clinical trials are as follows:  

1. The United States – 148,736 

2. France – 30,080 

3. Canada – 24,581 

4. China – 23,509 

5. Germany – 22,215 

6. The United Kingdom – 21,163 

7. Spain – 16,492 

8. Italy – 16,140 

9. South Korea – 12,693 

10. Belgium – 11,345 

It is also interesting to consider the ranking of countries based on their total studies per 100,000 people, which levels the playing field between larger and smaller countries. The top three countries for total studies per 100,000 people are Denmark (162), Belgium (98), and Israel (93).  

You can read more in the “Clinical Trials Report,” published on NiceRX.com by clicking this link.

Stay tuned for the final post in our blog series celebrating International Clinical Trials Day, AI and the Future of Clinical Trials!