Boost for Australian A$1 billion clinical trials industry as govt to accept CTAG recommendations

The way clinical trials are approved and run in Australia will change with the federal government indicating it will accept the recommendations of the Clinical Trials Action Group (CTAG) released this week.

According to the report, which was commissioned in October 2009, clinical trials are worth around A$1 billion $1.02 billion) to the Australian economy each year, including around A$450 million of foreign investment with Australia attracting trials from around the world, reports the local LifeScientist journal. However, the very increase in popularity of trials has placed a heavy burden on the infrastructure to approve, manage and monitor trials.

The report makes several key recommendations to improve the speed at which trials are approved, how they are monitored and how patients can be informed about current trials.