Global clinical trials activity increased by 0.9% in Q4 2021, when compared with the same quarter in 2020, according to GlobalData.
Industry sponsored trials accounted for a 57.5% share of overall activity in Q4 2021, an increase of 5.0% when compared with Q4 2020.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Non-industry sponsored trials accounted for a 42.5% share of all clinical trials in Q4 2021, marking a decrease of 5.0% when compared with the same period in 2020.
- Embed this chart
Embed this chart into your website Copy and paste the code below into your website to display the chart.
Q4 2021 industry sponsored clinical trials activity by therapy areas
Oncology was the leading therapy area for industry sponsored clinical trials in Q4 2021, accounting for a 31.2% share of all trials.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataThis was followed by Infectious Disease with a 15.0% share, Central Nervous System with 13.7%, Gastrointestinal with 7.2% and Cardiovascular with 6.3%.
In Q4 2020, Oncology led with a 27.2% share, followed by Infectious Disease with 19.3%, Central Nervous System with 13.2%, Metabolic Disorders with 8.3%, and Cardiovascular with 7.0%.
| Industry sponsored trials: Q4 2021 vs Q4 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Therapy Area | Q4 2020 | Q4 2021 | Activity |
| Oncology | 27.2% | 31.2% |  |
| Infectious Disease | 19.3% | 15.0% |  |
| Central Nervous System | 13.2% | 13.7% | |
| Gastrointestinal | 5.9% | 7.2% | |
| Cardiovascular | 7.0% | 6.3% | |
| Immunology | 5.7% | 6.3% | |
| Metabolic Disorders | 8.3% | 6.0% | |
| Respiratory | 6.7% | 5.3% | |
| Dermatology | 4.4% | 4.7% | |
| Musculoskeletal Disorders | 4.1% | 3.5% | |
| Hematological Disorders | 3.0% | 3.4% | |
| Ophthalmology | 3.2% | 3.1% | |
| Genetic Disorders | 1.8% | 2.6% | |
| Genito Urinary System And Sex Hormones | 2.5% | 2.4% | |
| Women’s Health | 2.0% | 1.8% | |
| Ear Nose Throat Disorders | 1.1% | 1.3% | |
| Hormonal Disorders | 0.5% | 0.6% | |
| Male Health | 0.7% | 0.5% | |
| Mouth and Dental Disorders | 0.7% | 0.4% | |
| Non Malignant Disorders | 0.2% | 0.2% | |
| Nutritional Disorders | 0.5% | 0.1% | |
Most active therapy areas in non-industry sponsored clinical trials
In Q4 2021 the leading therapy area for non-industry sponsored clinical trials was Oncology, accounting for a 25.5% share of all trials.
This was followed Central Nervous System with a 25.1% share, Infectious Disease with 12.7%, Cardiovascular with 9.0%, and Gastrointestinal with 6.3%.
In Q4 2020, Oncology held the lead in non-industry sponsored clinical trials with a 23.4% share, followed by Central Nervous System with 21.7%, Infectious Disease with 16.2%, Cardiovascular with 9.7%, and Gastrointestinal with 7.7%.
| Non-Industry sponsored trials: Q4 2021 vs Q4 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Therapy Area | Q4 2020 | Q4 2021 | Activity |
| Oncology | 23.4% | 25.5% | |
| Central Nervous System | 21.7% | 25.1% | |
| Infectious Disease | 16.2% | 12.7% | |
| Cardiovascular | 9.7% | 9.0% | |
| Gastrointestinal | 7.7% | 6.3% | |
| Metabolic Disorders | 6.1% | 5.1% | |
| Musculoskeletal Disorders | 5.1% | 4.4% | |
| Women’s Health | 4.5% | 4.4% | |
| Respiratory | 5.0% | 4.3% | |
| Hematological Disorders | 3.0% | 3.4% | |
| Immunology | 2.9% | 3.4% | |
| Dermatology | 3.1% | 2.5% | |
| Genito Urinary System And Sex Hormones | 3.1% | 2.3% | |
| Mouth and Dental Disorders | 2.1% | 2.2% | |
| Ophthalmology | 1.8% | 1.9% | |
| Ear Nose Throat Disorders | 0.9% | 1.0% | |
| Genetic Disorders | 0.6% | 0.8% | |
| Male Health | 0.5% | 0.6% | |
| Hormonal Disorders | 0.9% | 0.5% | |
| Nutritional Disorders | 0.8% | 0.5% | |
| Non Malignant Disorders | 0.5% | 0.3% | |
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 2021 with a 46.9% share, compared with 53.0% in Q4 2020.
North America was the second most active region with a 36.1% share in Q4 2021, up from 32.5% in Q4 2020, followed by Europe with a 30.4% share in Q4 2021, up from 28.8% in Q4 2020.
- Embed this chart
Embed this chart into your website Copy and paste the code below into your website to display the chart.
Single country studies held an 84.0% share in industry sponsored clinical trials in Q4 2021, compared with 82.8% in Q4 2020. Multinational trials accounted for 16.0% in Q4 2021, against 17.2% in Q4 2020.
Regional activity for non-industry sponsored clinical trials
Asia-Pacific saw the most non-industry sponsored clinical trial activity in Q4 2021 with a 43.5% share, down from 52.0% in Q4 2020.
North America held the second position with a 25.2% share in Q4 2021, compared with 17.8% in Q4 2020. This was followed by Middle East and Africa with a 16.2% share in Q4 2021, as against 15.4% in Q4 2020.
- Embed this chart
Embed this chart into your website Copy and paste the code below into your website to display the chart.
Single country studies accounted for 98.6% share of non-industry sponsored clinical trials in Q4 2021, compared with 98.7% in Q4 2020. Multinational trials accounted for a 1.4% share in Q4 2021, up from 1.3% in Q4 2020.
Clinical trials by phase in Q4 2021
Phase II trials outnumbered all other studies with a 38.6% share for industry sponsored trials in Q4 2021, compared with 34.2% in Q4 2020.
The share of Phase I trials stood at 33.4% in Q4 2021, down from 36.8% in Q4 2020. Phase III trials increased to 18.1% in Q4 2021, compared with 17.9% in Q4 2020, followed by Phase IV trials with a 9.8% share in Q4 2021, against 11.1% in Q4 2020.
- Embed this chart
Embed this chart into your website Copy and paste the code below into your website to display the chart.
For non-industry sponsored clinical trials, Phase II activity decreased to a 41.7% share in Q4 2021, compared with 45.3% in Q4 2020.
Phase IV trials were the second most active with a 22.1% share in Q4 2021, compared with 19.5% in Q4 2020. Phase I trials held an 18.3% share in Q4 2021, against 16.5% in Q4 2020, followed by Phase III trials with a 17.9% share in Q4 2021, over 18.7% in Q4 2020.
- Embed this chart
Embed this chart into your website Copy and paste the code below into your website to display the chart.
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.
