Over the past 10 years, South Korea has become a hub for multinational clinical trials. The Korean government offers a variety of incentives to the clinical trial industry. The country also boasts a well-defined regulatory process and one of the fastest clinical trial study start-up times in Asia. Many major international clinical research organizations and pharmaceutical companies are operating in the Korean clinical trial sector.
Oncology, cardiovascular and anti-infective clinical trials account for the majority of studies conducted in Korea. As a clinical trial site, Korea offers many advantages:
- A high quality and Western medical infrastructure,
- Professional and efficient state-of-the-art trial facilities,
- Strong English ability among researchers and medical professionals,
- A large patient population that is increasingly developing Western diseases,
- High patient retention and compliance in trials, and
- A good geographical base to access other Asian markets.
For Western medical companies looking to set up multinational clinical trials in Asia, Korea offers many advantages and opportunities.