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NEWS: Anne Gulland Number of global clinical trials done in UK fell by two thirds after EU directive BMJ 2009; 338: b1052 [Full text]

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Is this limited to the UK?

Paolo Tomasi   (18 March 2009)

Is this limited to the UK? 18 March 2009
Paolo Tomasi, Scientific Administrator - EMEA London E14 4HB Send response to journal: Re: Is this limited to the UK?	The article blames the EU Clinical Trials directive for a decrease in the number of clinical trials performed in the UK. However, the directive applies to all 27 European Union Member States, so a more significant way to judge its impact on the number of clinical trials would be to assess it across the whole of the European Union, and not just in the UK. It is possible that the decrease is due to the local (national) implementation of the clinical trial directive, or to other UK conditions or legislation that impact on the feasibility of conducting trials. Finally, it is a known phenomenon that a growing number of clinical trials are being conducted in non-EU countries, in Asia or in Eastern Europe. This is due to many factors, and may be responsible for a global decrease of trials performed in the UK (and the EU), with little or limited relation to the EU directive. Competing interests: None declared