Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental MedicineGermany takes second place in clinical studies worldwide, Hanover ranks fourth within Germany
When it comes to clinical drug studies being carried out by pharmaceutical companies, Germany is once again in second place in the world in 2016. With 532 studies, which were started in 2016, Germany is only beaten in the rankings by the USA (2,306 studies). This is what a study of the public register of studies, clinicaltrials.gov by the German association of research-based pharmaceutical companies (VFA) reveals.
112 of the 532 studies were carried out in order to test a drug candidate, even before the performance test, on study participants for the first time (Phase I studies). The other 420 studies were initiated in order to rest the effectiveness and tolerability of these drugs on patients (Phase II, III and IV studies). The patients concerned were suffering from 189 different diseases. In most of the total of 420 studies, treatments for cancers (25%) and inflammatory diseases (24%) were tested. Inflammatory diseases include diseases such as arthritis, asthma, COPD and Morbus Crohn, inter alia. Germany demonstrates particular strengths in the development of drugs in these fields: at 24%, studies of this nature make up a much higher proportion of the study activities than in the other five countries conducting the most studies, the USA, the UK, Canada, Spain and France).
Within Germany, Hanover is also one of the frontrunners in clinical studies: after Berlin (201), Hamburg (136) and Munich (127), Hanover is in fourth place with 83 studies started.
Fraunhofer ITEM in Hanover along with the CRC Hanover also contributes to the relevance of the location of Hanover and to the treatment of inflammatory diseases. CRC Hanover, a research institute for clinical early stage and proof-of-concept studies, which is closely linked to the university, offers patients maximum benefits by pooling the competencies of three partners (Fraunhofer ITEM, Hanover Medical School and Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research). At the same time, Fraunhofer ITEM focuses at the CRC Hanover on clinical studies of inflammatory diseases such as allergic rhinitis, asthma and COPD.