Early phase clinical trials could be impacted due to the Russia-Ukraine crisis

With the uncertainty surrounding Russia and Ukraine, it is expected that there will be a large impact on the pharmaceutical industry. More specifically, early phase clinical trials in that region could be disrupted says pharma analytics firm GlobalData.

GlobalData’s Clinical Trials Database shows that both Russia and Ukraine have a significant number of planned and ongoing trials. Since February 28, Russia’s ongoing, recruiting trials have slightly increased from 1005 to 1008. Planned trials have also increased from 835 to 842 trials. For Ukraine, the number of ongoing recruiting trials has increased from 499 trials to 502 trials, and the number of planned trials has remained consistent daily. However, it may take time for disruptions to be reflected in clinical trial registries; in fact, the State Expert Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine’s website for the clinical trials registry is currently not functional.

Trial intelligence analyst Priya Nair comments: “It is becoming more prevalent that clinical trials with a location in Russia or Ukraine will be disrupted, and if those trials are multinational, the disruption could create a ripple effect. If the crisis escalates, it could create hurdles for patient recruitment and the ability of both patients and investigators to reach trial sites.”