2022 Completed Trials: A Roller Coaster Ride For Industry Sponsors

By Laura Runkel, PhD, Associate Director, Citeline

In 2022, Trialtrove recorded a total of 3,881 industry-sponsored trials from Phase I through Phase III/IV, revealing a 5.5% decrease compared to the 4,109 completed trials observed in 2021. The data discovery marks only the second annual decline in trial counts in the past eight years. Furthermore, there were 953 trial terminations recorded in 2022, reflecting a 13.7% increase from the previous year (838). These shifts in trial completions and terminations indicate that the clinical trials landscape has not fully regained its pre-pandemic momentum.

The impact of these bidirectional changes was particularly notable in the therapeutic areas of Oncology and Infectious Diseases. Autoimmune/Inflammation, Central Nervous System, and Genitourinary trials experienced more modest reductions in completions, while Autoimmune/Inflammation and Genitourinary areas reported fewer terminations in 2022. However, Cardiovascular declined year-over-year and witnessed an increase in terminations. Vaccine trials continued to grow, albeit at a slower pace, driven by ongoing research related to the COVID-19 pandemic, but this area also had the highest termination rate.Metabolic/Endocrinology and Ophthalmology witnessed an increase in both trial completions and terminations.

The fluctuations in completed trial volumes from 2020 through 2022 were notably influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, impacting each therapeutic area in distinct ways. Despite the challenging circumstances, the top 20 companies maintained their presence in terms of annual trial counts. All other pharmaceutical (AOP) companies, however, managed to demonstrate resilience, increasing their share of completed trial activity.

This whitepaper aims to delve into the underlying causes behind these observed trends and shed light on the significant players and milestones that shaped the clinical trial landscape in 2022. By exploring these dynamics, the industry can better understand the evolving nature of clinical trials and their implications for the future of medical research and patient care.