Global clinical trials activity increased by 14.0% in Q4 2020, when compared with the same quarter in 2019, according to GlobalData.
Industry sponsored trials accounted for a 55.6% share of overall activity in Q4 2020, an increase of 2.4% when compared with Q4 2019.
Non-industry sponsored trials accounted for a 44.4% share of all clinical trials in Q4 2020, marking a decrease of 2.4% when compared with the same period in 2019.
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Q4 2020 industry sponsored clinical trials activity by therapy areas
Oncology was the leading therapy area for industry sponsored clinical trials in Q4 2020, accounting for a 30.8% share of all trials.
This was followed by infectious disease with an 18.5% share, central nervous system with 12.1%, metabolic disorders with 7.0% and respiratory with 6.4%.
In Q4 2019, oncology led with a 28.8% share, followed by central nervous system with 15.2%, infectious disease with 10.7%, metabolic disorders with 7.8%, and gastrointestinal with 7.5%.
| Industry sponsored trials: Q4 2020 vs Q4 2019 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Therapy Area | Q4 2019 | Q4 2020 | Activity |
| Oncology | 28.8% | 30.8% |  |
| Infectious Disease | 10.7% | 18.5% | |
| Central Nervous System | 15.2% | 12.1% |  |
| Metabolic Disorders | 7.8% | 7.0% | |
| Respiratory | 5.7% | 6.4% | |
| Immunology | 5.6% | 5.6% | |
| Cardiovascular | 7.1% | 5.3% | |
| Gastrointestinal | 7.5% | 5.1% | |
| Dermatology | 5.2% | 3.9% | |
| Musculoskeletal Disorders | 4.1% | 3.8% | |
| Hematological Disorders | 2.6% | 3.2% | |
| Ophthalmology | 3.2% | 3.2% | |
| Genito Urinary System And Sex Hormones | 3.1% | 2.3% | |
| Genetic Disorders | 1.8% | 2.2% | |
| Women’s Health | 2.4% | 1.5% | |
| Ear Nose Throat Disorders | 1.7% | 0.7% | |
| Male Health | 0.9% | 0.6% | |
| Hormonal Disorders | 0.7% | 0.4% | |
| Nutritional Disorders | 0.6% | 0.4% | |
| Mouth and Dental Disorders | 0.6% | 0.3% | |
| Non Malignant Disorders | 0.1% | 0.1% | |
Most active therapy areas in non-industry sponsored clinical trials
In Q4 2020 the leading therapy area for non-industry sponsored clinical trials was oncology, accounting for a 26.4% share of all trials.
This was followed central nervous system with a 22.7% share, infectious disease with 16.6%, cardiovascular with 9.6%, and gastrointestinal with 6.4%.
In Q4 2019, central nervous system held the lead in non-industry sponsored clinical trials with a 24.5% share, followed by oncology with 21.9%, cardiovascular with 8.7%, infectious disease with 7.7%, and gastrointestinal with 7.5%.
| Non-Industry sponsored trials: Q4 2020 vs Q4 2019 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Therapy Area | Q4 2019 | Q4 2020 | Activity |
| Oncology | 21.9% | 26.4% | |
| Central Nervous System | 24.5% | 22.7% | |
| Infectious Disease | 7.7% | 16.6% | |
| Cardiovascular | 8.7% | 9.6% | |
| Gastrointestinal | 7.5% | 6.4% | |
| Metabolic Disorders | 6.2% | 5.8% | |
| Respiratory | 3.9% | 5.6% | |
| Musculoskeletal Disorders | 5.8% | 4.3% | |
| Women’s Health | 5.4% | 4.0% | |
| Hematological Disorders | 3.2% | 2.9% | |
| Immunology | 3.6% | 2.9% | |
| Dermatology | 4.1% | 2.8% | |
| Genito Urinary System And Sex Hormones | 3.9% | 2.6% | |
| Mouth and Dental Disorders | 2.6% | 1.6% | |
| Ophthalmology | 2.1% | 1.6% | |
| Nutritional Disorders | 0.6% | 0.9% | |
| Hormonal Disorders | 0.9% | 0.8% | |
| Ear Nose Throat Disorders | 1.1% | 0.6% | |
| Genetic Disorders | 0.9% | 0.6% | |
| Male Health | 0.9% | 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 Q4 2020 with a 45.5% share, compared with 52.9% in Q4 2019.
North America was the second most active region with a 40.0% share in Q4 2020, up from 33.1% in Q4 2019, followed by Europe with a 30.0% share in Q4 2020, up from 28.3% in Q4 2019.
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Single country studies held an 82.3% share in industry sponsored clinical trials in Q4 2020, compared with 83.6% in Q4 2019. Multinational trials accounted for 17.7% in Q4 2020, against 16.4% in Q4 2019.
Regional activity for non-industry sponsored clinical trials
Asia-Pacific saw the most non-industry sponsored clinical trial activity in Q4 2020 with a 47.0% share, down from 47.3% in Q4 2019.
North America held the second position with a 25.4% share in Q4 2020, compared with 17.9% in Q4 2019. This was followed by Europe with a 15.0% share in Q4 2020, as against 15.4% in Q4 2019.
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Single country studies accounted for 98.6% share of non-industry sponsored clinical trials in Q4 2020, compared with 98.5% in Q4 2019. Multinational trials accounted for a 1.4% share in Q4 2020, down from 1.5% in Q4 2019.
Clinical trials by phase in Q4 2020
Phase II trials outnumbered all other studies with a 39.1% share for industry sponsored trials in Q4 2020, compared with 34.5% in Q4 2019.
The share of Phase I trials stood at 31.6% in Q4 2020, down from 39.3% in Q4 2019. Phase III trials increased to 19.2% in Q4 2020, compared with 16.5% in Q4 2019, followed by Phase IV trials with a 10.1% share in Q4 2020, against 9.6% in Q4 2019.
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For non-industry sponsored clinical trials, Phase II activity increased to a 47.4% share in Q4 2020, compared with 41.5% in Q4 2019.
Phase IV trials were the second most active with a 19.3% share in Q4 2020, compared with 21.7% in Q4 2019. Phase III trials held a 16.8% share in Q4 2020, against 20.4% in Q4 2019, followed by Phase I trials with a 16.5% share in Q4 2020, over 16.4% in Q4 2019.
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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.
