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Khaleej Times
27-02-2025
- Health
- Khaleej Times
Experts urge India to rewrite clinical trial rules to boost global market share
India should take a page from the playbook of countries such as China and Australia if it wants a larger share of the global clinical trials market, healthcare experts said at an industry conference. As of 2022, India held an 8 per cent share in global clinical trials — which evaluate the safety and effectiveness of new treatments — compared to China's 29 per cent, the US's 25 per cent, and 38 per cent for the rest of the world, data from consultancy PwC showed. "There's a lot to learn from what other countries have done to make them clinical trial destinations," BCG India partner Smruthi Suryaprakash said, pointing out that China saw an increase in innovation after easing regulations, while Australia has benefited from offering significant tax incentives. India's clinical trials research market is rapidly expanding, supported by a diverse patient base, cost-effective solutions, and a growing hospital network, according to US-based GrandView Research, which forecasts revenues exceeding $2 billion by 2030. "India will be able to capture the clinical trial (market) if we can really work on the speed. I think speed is what is really important to sponsors, either with regulator or being able to recruit patients faster," Suryaprakash added. Suryaprakash, along with other experts, was speaking as part of a panel at the BioAsia conference in the southern Indian state of Telangana. Rajeev Raghuvanshi, who heads India's drug regulator, said it was working to make the regulatory process more streamlined for global trials in India, based on feedback from stakeholders. "We have aligned things every year on average for the last three years," the drugs controller general of India said. The agency which revamped its trial rules in 2019, had approved about 160 trials in the last three years, he added. Recruiting the right patients Allowing sponsors to raise awareness among patients, such as through advertisements of ongoing studies, would also help India advance as a recruitment site, the experts said. Advertising studies for experimental treatments could be helpful, especially for patients with rare diseases without many treatment options. It is a common practice in countries such as the US and the UK. "You're not able to recruit into the trial because they (patients) do not know that it exists," said Padmaja Lokireddy, an oncologist at Apollo Hospitals. That needs to change, experts said. Some other experts highlighted challenges related to preparing a clinical trial site, ensuring it meets global safety standards and recruiting the right patients.
Zawya
27-02-2025
- Health
- Zawya
Healthcare experts urge India to rewrite clinical trial rules to boost global market share
India should take a page from the playbook of countries such as China and Australia if it wants a larger share of the global clinical trials market, healthcare experts said at an industry conference. As of 2022, India held an 8% share in global clinical trials - which evaluate the safety and effectiveness of new treatments - compared to China's 29%, the U.S.'s 25%, and 38% for the rest of the world, data from consultancy PwC showed. "There's a lot to learn from what other countries have done to make them clinical trial destinations," BCG India partner Smruthi Suryaprakash said, pointing out that China saw an increase in innovation after easing regulations, while Australia has benefited from offering significant tax incentives. India's clinical trials research market is rapidly expanding, supported by a diverse patient base, cost-effective solutions, and a growing hospital network, according to U.S.-based GrandView Research, which forecasts revenues exceeding $2 billion by 2030. "India will be able to capture the clinical trial (market) if we can really work on the speed. I think speed is what is really important to sponsors, either with regulator or being able to recruit patients faster," Suryaprakash added. Suryaprakash, along with other experts, was speaking as part of a panel at the BioAsia conference in the southern Indian state of Telangana. Rajeev Raghuvanshi, who heads India's drug regulator, said it was working to make the regulatory process more streamlined for global trials in India, based on feedback from stakeholders. "We have aligned things every year on average for the last three years," the drugs controller general of India said. The agency which revamped its trial rules in 2019, had approved about 160 trials in the last three years, he added. RECRUITING THE RIGHT PATIENTS Allowing sponsors to raise awareness among patients, such as through advertisements of ongoing studies, would also help India advance as a recruitment site, the experts said. Advertising studies for experimental treatments could be helpful, especially for patients with rare diseases without many treatment options. It is a common practice in countries such as the U.S. and the U.K. "You're not able to recruit into the trial because they (patients) do not know that it exists," said Padmaja Lokireddy, an oncologist at Apollo Hospitals. That needs to change, experts said. Some other experts highlighted challenges related to preparing a clinical trial site, ensuring it meets global safety standards and recruiting the right patients. (Reporting by Bhanvi Satija, Kashish Tandon and Rishika Sadam in Hyderabad; Editing by Manas Mishra, Dhanya Skariachan and Tasim Zahid)
Reuters
27-02-2025
- Health
- Reuters
Healthcare experts urge India to rewrite clinical trial rules to boost global market share
HYDERABAD Feb 27 (Reuters) - India should take a page from the playbook of countries such as China and Australia if it wants a larger share of the global clinical trials market, healthcare experts said at an industry conference. As of 2022, India held an 8% share in global clinical trials - which evaluate the safety and effectiveness of new treatments - compared to China's 29%, the U.S.'s 25%, and 38% for the rest of the world, data from consultancy PwC showed. "There's a lot to learn from what other countries have done to make them clinical trial destinations," BCG India partner Smruthi Suryaprakash said, pointing out that China saw an increase in innovation after easing regulations, while Australia has benefited from offering significant tax incentives. India's clinical trials research market is rapidly expanding, supported by a diverse patient base, cost-effective solutions, and a growing hospital network, according to U.S.-based GrandView Research, which forecasts revenues exceeding $2 billion by 2030. "India will be able to capture the clinical trial (market) if we can really work on the speed. I think speed is what is really important to sponsors, either with regulator or being able to recruit patients faster," Suryaprakash added. Suryaprakash, along with other experts, was speaking as part of a panel at the BioAsia conference in the southern Indian state of Telangana. Rajeev Raghuvanshi, who heads India's drug regulator, said it was working to make the regulatory process more streamlined for global trials in India, based on feedback from stakeholders. "We have aligned things every year on average for the last three years," the drugs controller general of India said. The agency which revamped its trial rules in 2019, had approved about 160 trials in the last three years, he added. RECRUITING THE RIGHT PATIENTS Allowing sponsors to raise awareness among patients, such as through advertisements of ongoing studies, would also help India advance as a recruitment site, the experts said. Advertising studies for experimental treatments could be helpful, especially for patients with rare diseases without many treatment options. It is a common practice in countries such as the U.S. and the U.K. "You're not able to recruit into the trial because they (patients) do not know that it exists," said Padmaja Lokireddy, an oncologist at Apollo Hospitals ( opens new tab. That needs to change, experts said. Some other experts highlighted challenges related to preparing a clinical trial site, ensuring it meets global safety standards and recruiting the right patients.
Reuters
26-02-2025
- Business
- Reuters
US drugmaker Merck to boost workforce in India, executive says
HYDERABAD, India, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Drugmaker Merck (MRK.N), opens new tab, known as MSD outside of the U.S. and Canada, expects to increase its workforce across its India sites by the end of the year, a senior company executive said on Wednesday. "By the end of this year, we expect to have roughly 2,700 employees. And in a couple of years, I fully expect we'll double that number or more," Executive Vice President Dave Williams said at the BioAsia conference in India's Telangana state. Merck's India sites, which together employ around 1,800 people, focus on multiple therapy areas including oncology, diabetes, vaccines and animal health, as well as technology-related centers. The U.S. drugmaker opened a new technology center in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad this week. Williams, who heads the information and digital department, said the company is looking to hire "digital innovators" who can help business partners understand the role technology can play in reducing the time taken to get new treatments to patients. Keep up with the latest medical breakthroughs and healthcare trends with the Reuters Health Rounds newsletter. Sign up here.
Khaleej Times
26-02-2025
- Health
- Khaleej Times
India on the verge of becoming clinical trials hub, says Parexel executive
India is ready to step in as an alternative site for early-stage clinical trials to help mitigate the impact of disruptions such as the Russia-Ukraine war, an executive at contract research firm Parexel told Reuters on Wednesday. The US-based company plans to boost its headcount in India by more than 2,000 over the next three to five years, from about 6,000 currently, said Sanjay Vyas, who heads Parexel's India operations. Vyas said India is well-placed to attract clinical trials disrupted by geopolitical conflicts such as the Russia-Ukraine war, as well as efforts by global drugmakers to reduce reliance on China. Ukraine, along with Russia, had become important countries for studying new drugs before Russia's attack in 2022. In subsequent years, however, large companies and researchers have reported disruptions to trials there. Vyas said Parexel plans to hire for roles that could help build innovation hubs. "Because the cost of failure in India is much less than in other parts of the world," he said on the sidelines of the ongoing BioAsia conference in the southern state of Telangana. Durham, North Carolina-headquartered Parexel, among the world's top clinical research organisations, operates between 100 and 150 trial sites in India, located across states including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Tamil Nadu. India's clinical trials data market is estimated to touch $1.51 billion in 2025, according to US-based GrandView Research. While India's reputation as a trusted region for conducting trials is improving, several challenges, such as a lack of standardised regulations for some early-stage studies, remain before it can become a top choice for drugmakers. "If you don't do phase 1 trials, the same patient will have to wait for a phase 3 (late-stage) trial to happen for the drug to come into the market. So you have the time lost, which you could have gotten earlier on if the molecule was already introduced in advance," Vyas said. He also highlighted a lack of awareness about experimental treatments among patients and doctors, as well as establishing trial sites in remote areas, as other challenges in India.
