Global Report: Robust Phase 1 Trial Growth Across Asia Pacific

Novotech, the leading Asia Pacific centred biotech CRO, has published a new global report on Phase 1 trial activity including current metrics on fast growth regions and therapeutic areas. The data analysis found that Asia Pacific has been the fastest-growing region for Phase 1 trials in the last ten years, reaching a share of 58% in 2022, with China leading the Phase I trials globally.

Novotech offers a unique and unparalleled suite of early to late-phase CRO services across Europe and the US, with a specialist focus on Asia Pacific where the company has built a reputation for delivering high-quality expedited clinical trials. 

According to the new report titled Phase I Global Clinical Trial Landscape – Focus on Asia Pacific (view report here), in 2022 Asia Pacific accounted for 58% share of the approximately 3,600 Phase I trials initiated globally.

The report found that Asia Pacific has been the fastest growing region for Phase 1 trials in the last ten years with a 10Y CAGR of 18%. 

“Between 2018 and 2022, the region has had consistent performance and has been maintaining its majority share since 2018, with a peak of 61% share achieved in the year 2021.”

Mainland China, Australia, South Korea, Japan and India were the top five Asian locations, and together contribute over 50% of the global phase I trials.

One of the key reasons why Asia Pacific is in demand is that it has the shortest patient enrolment duration and fastest recruitment rate.

“Asia Pacific region has a much wider patient base which expedites the patient time recruitment process and shortens the trial duration enabling initiation and completion of trials.”

The report found that Asia Pacific also leads the phase I trials across the top therapeutic areas.

“Oncology, infectious disease, CNS, cardiovascular and metabolic disorders are the top therapeutic areas of Phase I trials across the top Asian locations of China, Australia, South Korea, Japan and India. Of all the five locations put together, China occupies the major share (>80%) of phase I trials in all the top therapeutic areas considered together.”

See the report for Phase 1 location and therapeutic area analysis including:

• IMMUNOMODULATORY THERAPY
• IMMUNO-ONCOLOGY
• ADOPTIVE CELL THERAPY
• ALLOGENIC, AUTOLOGOUS, STEM CELL AND REGENERATIVE MEDICINE
• DNA AND RNA 
• VACCINES
• MULTI-SPECIFIC MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY
• MICROBIOME

Cell & Gene
The latest data also shows Asia Pacific is the fastest-growing region globally for cell & gene therapy trials representing more than a third of all cell & gene studies, with China leading in the region. 

The region already accounts for over a third of cell & gene therapy trial activity and shows a nearly 50% faster growth rate in cell & gene therapy trials compared to ROW between 2016 and 2021. China shows a 15% faster growth rate than the ROW.

After oncology, the majority of cell & gene trials are in infectious diseases, CNS, and cardiovascular diseases. 

In addition, the Asia Pacific is the leading location globally for CAR-T trials with China attracting ~60% of all CAR-T trials globally between 2015-2022. 

European expansion – global footprint
Novotech recently acquired EastHORN a European CRO with clinical, medical and regulatory expertise in multiple strategically important locations across the continent. The acquisition is part of Novotech’s global expansion program in Europe and the US.

Award recognition
Novotech has recently been benchmarked as a top 10 CRO among the world’s leading CROs, has been awarded the Asia-Pacific Cell & Gene Therapy Clinical Trials Excellence award and selected for the Asia-Pacific Contract Research Organization Company of the Year Award. The company has signed 45 Leading Site Partnership agreements over the last 3 years.