Meeting new EU targets for clinical trials could grant 35,000 additional patients access to breakthrough treatments, according to a report from Frontier Economics published by the EFPIA.
EU health authorities have set an 11% growth target for clinical trials to help the region bounce back from a decade-long slump. Between 2013 and 2023, Europe’s share of global industry-sponsored clinical trials plummeted from 22% to 12%, while China’s share more than doubled to 18%. To combat this, the EU aims to add 500 multinational trials over the next five years.
Reversing a decade of decline
Meeting these baseline targets would inject €4bn annually into the EU economy and create 18,000 jobs. However, the report suggests an even greater opportunity: catching up with the US and China via a 50% increase in activity, which could unlock €17.9bn and 158,000 trial places.
Nathalie Moll, Director General, EFPIA, explained: “Meeting the EU targets should be the absolute minimum to which we should aspire. A vibrant research and development ecosystem will lead to better health outcomes for Europeans, more sustainable and resilient healthcare systems and significant economic growth.”
Economic and health dividends
Currently, industry-sponsored trials generate €35.7bn in annual economic value across the European Economic Area, with Germany, France and Belgium the top contributors. This includes not only direct research activity but also €3.6bn in R&D spillovers – where clinical innovation fuels broader scientific breakthroughs –and significant productivity gains.
Beyond the economic dividends, these trials are essential for advances in clinical care. They provide patients with access to life-saving therapies 10-15 years before they hit the general market and prevent millions of sick days annually for this reason.
The report also emphasises that recent initiatives, such as the EU Biotech Act and Accelerating Clinical Trials in the EU (ACT EU), are critical for simplifying the regulatory landscape. These efforts aim to create one streamlined system, cutting through the red tape of 27 different sets of national rules to attract large-scale pharmaceutical investment back to the continent.
“These findings complement our earlier work highlighting the value that industry clinical trials, bring to patients, healthcare systems and to economic growth in the UK,” said Dr Janet Valentine, Executive Director for Innovation and Research, ABPI. “Both reports demonstrate the significant gains that could be made by growing our share of global clinical trials.”
Read the full report here
