Clinical research studies are data-driven endeavors, relying heavily on statistics to deliver reliable information to the medical community. However, statistics for clinical research studies aren’t just for researchers; they can also help inform potential trial participants. Read on for a brief overview of the statistics behind today’s clinical research studies.
Statistics for Clinical Research Studies
Who Participates in Clinical Research Studies?
A brief entitled The State of Clinical Research in the United States explains the massive scale of clinical research study participation. Per the brief, today’s clinical research studies call for the enrollment of one in every 200 Americans as study participants. For more specific demographic information, we must look to individual study eligibility. This is determined by a number of factors including age, gender, overall health, and treatment history. Interestingly, as the Harvard Business Review reports, most clinical research studies “are not representative of the general population or of those with a particular disease.” Clinical research studies primarily enroll white, male patients, despite the fact that people of color make up about 39 percent of the U.S. population. Given these statistics, increasing diversity in clinical research studies is an ongoing concern for researchers.
How Much Do Research Studies Cost Researchers?
Clinical research studies are incredibly costly endeavors. One study found that clinical drug research studies have a median cost of $19 million. (Interestingly enough, the study suggests that these trial costs represent a tiny fraction of staggeringly high drug development costs, which can be as high as $3 billion.) A large part of that cost pertains to patient recruitment, which makes up approximately 40 percent of the total budget. As we’ve reported previously, funding for clinical research studies can come from pharmaceutical companies, university medical centers, nonprofit foundations, government agencies, or private donors.
How Many Research Studies Occur Each Year?
Per Statista, the number of registered clinical research studies has increased significantly in recent years. In fact, as of September 2021, there were around 390,000 clinical studies registered globally. Compare this with the total number of studies registered in the year 2000 – just 2,110 – and it’s clear that the number of clinical studies has increased significantly. Today, clinical research studies account for nearly 40 percent of the United States pharmaceutical research budget.
Which Diseases Do Researchers Study?
One set of data published by the National Academy of Sciences found that around half of the clinical research studies being conducted in the United States today pertain to cancer; however, these research studies reportedly involve a relatively small number of participants. That same data set reveals that cardiovascular disease research studies are actively recruiting hundreds of thousands of participants, more than the number of participants sought for other research studies studying cancer, diabetes, or depression. That being said, the national clinical research study database lists dozens of other conditions actively being studied. The database also offers statistics on which types of research studies are currently underway.
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As you can see, statistics for clinical research studies are an excellent way to gauge the state of the industry. If you’re interested in reviewing additional statistics before participating in a clinical research study, the national trial database is a helpful resource.
Have you ever thought about participating in a clinical research study? You could be a part of history! QPS Missouri is looking for new participants. Since opening its doors in 1994, QPS Missouri has conducted over 1,000 FDA-regulated studies, paying out over $35 million to local participants. Your local participation could have a global impact, as QPS is an international leader in contract research with facilities in North America, Europe, and Asia. Our mission is to accelerate the development of drugs worldwide by enabling breakthroughs in pharmaceutical innovation. This includes several pediatric studies across several age ranges. If you would like to join us in this crucial healthcare mission, consider applying for a clinical research study.
To get started, you simply need to fill out an online application. After that, within 48 business hours, a recruiting coordinator will contact you for your pre-screening assessment. To learn more, please visit the QPS Missouri website, review the study participation process, or check out our list of frequently asked questions.