The Asia-Pacific Region: A Hot Spot For Clinical Trials
By Mathini Ilancheran, principal analyst, R&D, Beroe Inc.
Introduction
The Asia-Pacific region has become the hot spot for conducting clinical trials due to the ease of regulatory compliance, the low cost of conducting studies, a growing patient population, and the presence of a few top clinical institutions acting as sites. For example, the regulatory agencies in China are working toward an enhanced clinical trial process by reducing the overall review and approval process.
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The clinical trial workforce contributes to around 30 to 35% of the overall trial cost. This makes FTE rates for clinical research a key parameter to consider. These rates are generally higher in the developed markets as compared to the Asia-Pacific region, which is why the latter is becoming an important location for conducting clinical trial studies. Also, the cost per patient across all therapeutic areas and phases is much lower in Asian countries than in developed markets.