Pancreatic cancer-focused drug firms, CROs should look to Asia, study says

Firms trialing pancreatic cancer drugs should consider running studies in the Asia-Pacific region, a market yet to be fully tapped as a research destination, according to new analysis.

Pancreatic cancer has emerged as a major research focus for the drug industry in recent years with 164 therapies in preclinical development, 233 in early-phase clinical trials, and 29 in Phase III. Most of these trials - some 38% - are being conducted in the US, with 37% in Asia and 20% in Europe.

This distribution reflects the market focus of the developers involved such as Pfizer, Roche, Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, and Merck & Co. However, according to the authors of the study, it does not mirror distribution of the disease.

For example, globally, there were 511,000 cases of pancreatic cancer in 2022. Asia led in terms of incidence with approximately 45% of all cases. Europe, in contrast, reported 146,400 cases while 67,000 cases were registered in North America in 2022.

The mismatch between incidence and trials is an opportunity for CROs and drug developers, according to the authors.

“Despite its large population, the Asia-Pacific region’s clinical trial density is six times lower than that of the US and about half that of Europe, signaling an urgent need for increased research and targeted medical interventions in these regions.

“The Asia-Pacific region’s untapped research potential, combined with its vast patient population and unique genetic diversities, presents a prime opportunity for groundbreaking clinical research and the development of tailored therapeutic interventions.”

Asia also offers advantages in terms of study completion speed and patient recruitment rates, according to the authors.

“Europe has the largest median trial duration at 27.12 months, followed by the US at 18.77, and Asia-Pacific with the shortest at 12.37 months. Additionally, the Asia-Pacific region achieved a higher median recruitment rate of 0.73 subjects per site per month, significantly outpacing the US rate of 0.29 and Europe rate of 0.20.

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