India: Domestic clinical trials market booms

Thomas K. Thomas of The Hindu Business Line writes, the number of clinical trials being conducted in India has doubled from 170 in 2006 to 350 at the end of 2008, according to the Central Drug Standard Control Organisation.

And going by the indications in the first six months of 2009, the number of registered clinical trials in the country is likely to touch a new high.

Already between January and June this year, 130 trials have been registered with the drug regulator. Since the drug regulator has made it mandatory for clinical research organisations to register all drug trials from June onwards, a significant jump in the actual numbers is expected this year.

What's next for India? Now a global player in both clinical trails and cros--will India take the lead?

India Expected to Draw More Clinical Trials by 2012

Even though there are several reports indicating the trend of outsourcing clinical trails to India, trials conducted in India only represent two percent of the worldwide total according to this article in Fierce Biotech.

The research group RNCOS also expects the number to surge to 5 percent by 2012 as more companies look to conduct low-cost trials in India. According to RNCO,

"companies can cut up to 30 to 40 percent time required to complete various phases of clinical trials choosing India as the outsourcing destination."

Take a look at RNCO’s full release here.

RNCOS: India Most Economical Destination for Global Clinical Trials

According to research at RNCOS, India is one of the most economical destinations for conducting global clinical trials. Their research shows that substantial amounts can be saved in India on both staff and utilities. For instance, the salary of a clinical research associate is only 13% of that in the US and 17% and 19% as that in the UK and Germany respectively. Similarly, the cost of a biostatistician in India is only 15%, 18% and 17% as that in the US, UK and Germany respectively. Companies also save substantially on utilities and land while setting up their operations in India. For more information on RNCOS research, please click here.

Will India prove to be the premier destination for global clinical trials in this economic climate? What does your company to do compete with the relatively low cost of companies utilizing India's resources? Post your thoughts here or on our LinkedIn group.