Massive patient recruitment and a robust but relatively simple regulatory framework. Plus, low cost. These are the elements that are favoring the development of the Asian clinical research industry, to which Big Pharma are increasingly turning, not only for outsourcing, but also to study the peculiarities of 'local' patients. This is highlighted by a report by Gbi Research. During 2012, an estimated 12% of clinical trials worldwide were conducted in seven major Asian markets, while 48.5% were carried out in the US and 26.5% in Europe.
The costs of studies organized in the East are estimated to be 35-45% lower than those in the West. The sector that is 'most popular' is oncology, and as regards the studies focused on the Asian population, the most common are those on liver cancer, which has a high prevalence in Eastern countries, followed by that of the stomach, head and neck. Finally, GBI Research calculates that the total size of the drug discovery markets of China, India, Russia, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea reached a record $5.3 billion in 2011, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.9% since 2007. By 2018, it will grow to $17.3 billion with a CAGR of 18.4%.
Barbara Di Chiara – 6 November 2012 – PharmaKronos
