Australia: Growing Clinical Trials Even in Pandemic’s Wake

DIA Global Forum Australia/New Zealand Regional Editor Richard Day (University of New South Wales, Medicine, St. Vincent’s Hospital) and John Skeritt, Head of Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), discuss regulatory strategies and other initiatives designed to help nurture clinical research and product development in Australia post-pandemic. With “Australia having had many fewer cases than comparable countries, we've actually become in very short time a very attractive global destination for clinical trials. And, in fact, because of our low numbers, the demand has significantly increased,” John explains. “For medicines, biologicals, and devices, for example, in the last six months of last year, July to December 2020, we actually had a 17% increase in the number of clinical trials, even though COVID was rife in some parts of Australia at that time.”