Cancer Clinical Trials Development in Latin America: Why It Lags
Cancer clinical trials development in Latin America underperforms globally yet strengths could expand equitable evidence worldwide.
A review of the current landscape argues that Latin America, despite representing over 8% of the world’s population and facing a growing cancer burden, contributes under 2% of global oncology trial activity and scientific output. The authors describe a system that often relies on industry led studies while lacking sustained academic investment to build a durable research ecosystem that can also generate investigator led innovation.
They emphasize that limited participation has real consequences for oncology care, including reduced access to new therapies and slower development of local capacity to shape research agendas that reflect regional needs.
Structural Barriers Limiting Trial Capacity
The review highlights multiple constraints that slow cancer clinical trials development in Latin America. Regulatory asymmetries across countries create friction for multi site research and complicate consistent trial execution. Infrastructure is uneven, and access to enabling resources is limited, including biobanks, registries, and protected research time for investigators. Together, these issues weaken academic ecosystems and restrict the growth of investigator led trials, leaving many sites positioned primarily as implementers rather than drivers of innovation.
Opportunities That Could Shift the Region’s Role
Alongside the challenges, the authors outline strengths that could make cancer clinical trials development in Latin America more competitive and influential. They point to high patient adherence, a large urban concentration that can support recruitment and follow up, and cost efficiency. The review also notes expanding cooperative research networks, which could serve as a foundation for more coordinated, regionally relevant evidence generation.
To move from peripheral participation to active contribution, the authors propose actionable priorities, including establishing a regional funding mechanism, described as a Latin American Cancer Research for Equity Fund, pursuing regulatory convergence, and investing in workforce development and research equity. They argue these steps could strengthen trial capacity and help generate oncology evidence that is both globally relevant and contextually appropriate for Latin America.
Reference: Garzón-Dangond JM et al. Challenges and Opportunities for Cancer Clinical Trials Development in Latin America. JCO Glob Oncol. 2025;11:e2500383. doi:10.1200/GO-25-00383.
