Global clinical trials activity increased by 9% in Q1 2021, when compared with the same quarter in 2020, according to GlobalData.
Industry sponsored trials accounted for a 51.4% share of overall activity in Q1 2021, an increase of 11.2% when compared with Q1 2020.
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Non-industry sponsored trials accounted for a 48.6% share of all clinical trials in Q1 2021, marking a decrease of 11.2% when compared with the same period in 2020.
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Q1 2021 industry sponsored clinical trials activity by therapy areas
Oncology was the leading therapy area for industry sponsored clinical trials in Q1 2021, accounting for a 29.6% share of all trials.
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By GlobalDataThis was followed by Infectious Disease with an 18.4% share, Central Nervous System with 13.4%, Metabolic Disorders with 7.4% and Cardiovascular with 6.4%.
In Q1 2020, Oncology led with a 25.4% share, followed by Infectious Disease with 16.9%, Central Nervous System with 13.7%, Respiratory with 10.6%, and Cardiovascular with 8.4%.
| Industry sponsored trials: Q1 2021 vs Q1 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Therapy Area | Q1 2020 | Q1 2021 | Activity |
| Oncology | 25.4% | 29.6% |  |
| Infectious Disease | 16.9% | 18.4% | |
| Central Nervous System | 13.7% | 13.4% |  |
| Metabolic Disorders | 7.7% | 7.4% | |
| Cardiovascular | 8.4% | 6.4% | |
| Respiratory | 10.6% | 5.8% | |
| Gastrointestinal | 6.7% | 5.3% | |
| Immunology | 5.1% | 5.0% | |
| Musculoskeletal Disorders | 3.7% | 3.9% | |
| Dermatology | 4.3% | 3.3% | |
| Ophthalmology | 2.9% | 3.3% | |
| Hematological Disorders | 3.6% | 3.1% | |
| Genito Urinary System And Sex Hormones | 2.6% | 2.2% | |
| Genetic Disorders | 1.3% | 1.5% | |
| Women’s Health | 2.4% | 1.4% | |
| Ear Nose Throat Disorders | 1.8% | 1.0% | |
| Male Health | 0.6% | 0.8% | |
| Hormonal Disorders | 0.6% | 0.7% | |
| Mouth and Dental Disorders | 0.8% | 0.5% | |
| Nutritional Disorders | 0.7% | 0.5% | |
| Non Malignant Disorders | 0.1% | 0.0% | |
Most active therapy areas in non-industry sponsored clinical trials
In Q1 2021 the leading therapy area for non-industry sponsored clinical trials was Oncology, accounting for a 27.9% share of all trials.
This was followed Central Nervous System with a 24.7% share, Infectious Disease with 16.7%, Cardiovascular with 9.2%, and Musculoskeletal Disorders with 5.0%.
In Q1 2020, Central Nervous System held the lead in non-industry sponsored clinical trials with a 21.9% share, followed by Infectious Disease with 20.2%, Oncology with 17.9%, Respiratory with 11.7%, and Cardiovascular with 8.8%.
| Non-Industry sponsored trials: Q1 2021 vs Q1 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Therapy Area | Q1 2020 | Q1 2021 | Activity |
| Oncology | 17.9% | 27.9% | |
| Central Nervous System | 21.9% | 24.7% | |
| Infectious Disease | 20.2% | 16.7% | |
| Cardiovascular | 8.8% | 9.2% | |
| Musculoskeletal Disorders | 5.0% | 5.0% | |
| Gastrointestinal | 6.3% | 4.6% | |
| Metabolic Disorders | 5.8% | 4.6% | |
| Respiratory | 11.7% | 4.5% | |
| Immunology | 2.9% | 3.1% | |
| Women’s Health | 5.2% | 3.0% | |
| Hematological Disorders | 2.7% | 2.9% | |
| Genito Urinary System And Sex Hormones | 2.7% | 2.5% | |
| Dermatology | 3.3% | 1.8% | |
| Ophthalmology | 1.8% | 1.8% | |
| Mouth and Dental Disorders | 2.5% | 1.7% | |
| Ear Nose Throat Disorders | 1.4% | 0.9% | |
| Hormonal Disorders | 0.5% | 0.7% | |
| Genetic Disorders | 0.5% | 0.6% | |
| Nutritional Disorders | 0.7% | 0.6% | |
| Male Health | 0.7% | 0.5% | |
| Non Malignant Disorders | 0.3% | 0.4% | |
Asia-Pacific region has the most activity for industry sponsored clinical trials
Asia-Pacific was the most active region for industry sponsored clinical trials activity in Q1 2021 with a 46.8% share, compared with 52.1% in Q1 2020.
North America was the second most active region with a 38.2% share in Q1 2021, up from 32.6% in Q1 2020, followed by Europe with a 29.4% share in Q1 2021, down from 30.5% in Q1 2020.
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Single country studies held an 83.5% share in industry sponsored clinical trials in Q1 2021, compared with 83.5% in Q1 2020. Multinational trials accounted for 16.5% in Q1 2021, against 16.5% in Q1 2020.
Regional activity for non-industry sponsored clinical trials
Asia-Pacific saw the most non-industry sponsored clinical trial activity in Q1 2021 with a 39.4% share, down from 51.7% in Q1 2020.
North America held the second position with a 27.6% share in Q1 2021, compared with 14.6% in Q1 2020. This was followed by Europe with a 20.3% share in Q1 2021, as against 15.5% in Q1 2020.
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Single country studies accounted for 98.8% share of non-industry sponsored clinical trials in Q1 2021, compared with 99.1% in Q1 2020. Multinational trials accounted for a 1.2% share in Q1 2021, up from 0.9% in Q1 2020.
Clinical trials by phase in Q1 2021
Phase II trials outnumbered all other studies with a 39.5% share for industry sponsored trials in Q1 2021, compared with 35.8% in Q1 2020.
The share of Phase I trials stood at 31.0% in Q1 2021, down from 32.9% in Q1 2020. Phase III trials increased to 18.1% in Q1 2021, compared with 16.6% in Q1 2020, followed by Phase IV trials with an 11.4% share in Q1 2021, against 14.7% in Q1 2020.
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For non-industry sponsored clinical trials, Phase II activity decreased to a 49.6% share in Q1 2021, compared with 41.5% in Q1 2020.
Phase IV trials were the second most active with a 21.5% share in Q1 2021, compared with 20.7% in Q1 2020. Phase I trials held a 14.5% share in Q1 2021, against 18.4% in Q1 2020, followed by Phase III trials with a 14.4% share in Q1 2021, over 19.5% in Q1 2020.
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Methodology:
The clinical trials data used for the analyses were extracted from the Clinical Trials Database of GlobalData’s Pharma Intelligence Center. Clinical Trials are sourced from numerous government, non-government and company clinical trial registries worldwide alongside clinical research publications, scientific conferences, company websites, SEC filings and more. The information is gathered by a combination of automation and secondary research to ensure accuracy and validity. A small number of Phase 0, Phase I/II, Phase II/III, and Phase III/IV trials were combined with Phase I, Phase II, Phase III, and Phase IV trials, respectively.
