Half the 1,200 clinical trials conducted by a dozen of the largest U.S. pharmaceutical companies were conducted offshore in 2005. So says a report from management consultancy A.T. Kearney (www.atkearney.com), "Make Your Move: Taking Clinical Trials to the Best Location." The report cites China as the best bet for outsourcing clinical trials. According to an article posted on DrugResearcher.com http://www.drugresearcher.com/news/ng.asp?id=72702, China was chosen both for cheap labor and facilities, as well as a huge urban patient pool.
A trial in China could cost half of what it does in the U.S., says the report. With clinical trials accounting for up to two-thirds of the cost of drug development, savings could be substantial.
Five areas evaluated included patient availability, cost-efficiency, expertise, regulatory conditions and infrastructure. India, Russia, Brazil, and the Czech Republic followed behind China.
