According to GlobalData’s Clinical Trials Database, among clinical trials for 2022, Phase II led with 40.1% of trials. This was followed by Phase I (28.8%), Phase III (25.4%), and Phase IV (15.4%). Q1 2022 had the greatest number of trials with 26.8%, followed closely by Q2 2022 with 26%.
Out of all five regions, APAC had the greatest proportion of early-stage Phase I trials at 29.8%. Overall, the majority of APAC trials were in Phase II (39.5%). North America had the highest proportion (44.4%) of Phase II trials. South and Central America have the largest proportion (46.9%) of Phase III trials, followed by the Middle East and Africa (44.9%). APAC had the highest proportion (17.9%) of Phase IV trials, followed closely by Europe (15.9%). Phase I trials account for 40.7% of trials in China, compared to 37.5% in 2022. Phase II dominates trials in India with 51.7%, followed closely by the US at 44.5%.
Iran leads Phase III trials with over 60.1%. Most of these trials investigated the central nervous system, followed by women’s health and infectious diseases. Iran was one of the few Middle Eastern nations with the capacity to develop therapeutics and vaccines. India had the highest proportion (19.4%) of trials in Phase IV. This was closely followed by China at 17.6%. Similar to previous years, this could be attributed to India’s rule that drugs approved in the UK, EU, Australia, Canada, Japan, or the US no longer need clinical trials in India, which sped up drug approvals and removed large study requirements. However, pharmaceutical companies still need to conduct Phase IV trials after the drug has been marketed to gather post-marketing, real-world evidence and evaluate its long-term effects.