
Clinical trials – statistics & facts
Key insights
- Total cost of developing a drug in U.S.
- 2.6 bn USD

Detailed statistics
Pharmaceuticals: cost of drug development in the U.S. since 1975
- Global spending on pharma R&D in 2021
- 238 bn USD

Detailed statistics
Total global pharmaceutical R&D spending 2014-2028
- Number of drugs in R&D pipeline in 2022
- 20,109

Detailed statistics
Number of drugs in the R&D pipeline worldwide 2001-2022
Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic
Current statistics on this topic
Related topics
Recommended statistics
R&D overview
6
- Premium Statistic Total global pharmaceutical R&D spending 2014-2028
- Premium Statistic Industry sectors - expenditure on research and development 2020
- Premium Statistic Top pharmaceutical R&D projects based on net present value August 2022
- Basic Statistic Research and development expenditure: U.S. pharmaceutical industry 1995-2021
- Premium Statistic Research and development in European pharmaceutical industry by country 2020
- Premium Statistic Total clinical research funding by National Institutes for Health 2013-2023
R&D overview
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Premium Statistic
Total global pharmaceutical R&D spending 2014-2028
Total global pharmaceutical R&D spending 2014-2028
Total global spending on pharmaceutical research and development from 2014 to 2028 (in billion U.S. dollars)
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Industry sectors - expenditure on research and development 2020
Industry sectors - expenditure on research and development 2020
Percentage of spending on research and development of total revenue in 2020, by industrial sector
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Top pharmaceutical R&D projects based on net present value August 2022
Top pharmaceutical R&D projects based on net present value August 2022
Selected top pharmaceutical R&D projects based on net present value (NPV) as of August 2022 (in billion U.S. dollars)
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Basic Statistic
Research and development expenditure: U.S. pharmaceutical industry 1995-2021
Research and development expenditure: U.S. pharmaceutical industry 1995-2021
Research and development expenditure of total U.S. pharmaceutical industry from 1995 to 2021 (in billion U.S. dollars)
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Research and development in European pharmaceutical industry by country 2020
Research and development in European pharmaceutical industry by country 2020
Pharmaceutical research and development spending in selected European countries in 2020 (in million euros)
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Total clinical research funding by National Institutes for Health 2013-2023
Total clinical research funding by National Institutes for Health 2013-2023
Total clinical research funding by the National Institutes for Health (NIH) from FY 2013 to FY 2023 (in million U.S. dollars)
Top R&D companies
5
- Basic Statistic Global top pharmaceutical companies based on R&D spending 2026
- Basic Statistic Top 50 global pharmaceutical and biotech companies by R&D intensity in 2021
- Basic Statistic Top pharmaceutical companies in R&D spending growth 2021
- Premium Statistic Leading global contract research organizations based on revenue 2021
- Basic Statistic Roche: participation of patients in clinical trials 2009-2017
Top R&D companies
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Basic Statistic
Global top pharmaceutical companies based on R&D spending 2026
Global top pharmaceutical companies based on R&D spending 2026
Global top 10 pharmaceutical companies based on projected R&D spending in 2026 (in billion U.S. dollars)
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Basic Statistic
Top 50 global pharmaceutical and biotech companies by R&D intensity in 2021
Top 50 global pharmaceutical and biotech companies by R&D intensity in 2021
World's top 50 pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies based on R&D intensity in 2021
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Basic Statistic
Top pharmaceutical companies in R&D spending growth 2021
Top pharmaceutical companies in R&D spending growth 2021
World's top 50 pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies based on R&D spending growth in 2021
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Leading global contract research organizations based on revenue 2021
Leading global contract research organizations based on revenue 2021
Leading global contract research organizations (CROs) based on 2021 revenue (in million U.S. dollars)
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Basic Statistic
Roche: participation of patients in clinical trials 2009-2017
Roche: participation of patients in clinical trials 2009-2017
Number of patients who took part in clinical trials for pharmaceutical company Roche from 2009 to 2017*
Clinical studies
7
- Basic Statistic Increase in clinical trials' complexity 2001-2015
- Premium Statistic Clinical trial success rates by therapeutic area 2020
- Basic Statistic Number of registered clinical studies by location worldwide 2022
- Basic Statistic Percent of registered clinical studies worldwide by location 2022
- Basic Statistic Share of recruiting clinical studies worldwide by location 2022
- Premium Statistic Total number of registered clinical studies worldwide 2000-2022
- Basic Statistic Total number of registered clinical studies with posted results worldwide 2008-2022
Clinical studies
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Basic Statistic
Increase in clinical trials' complexity 2001-2015
Increase in clinical trials' complexity 2001-2015
Increase in clinical trials' complexity between 2001-2005 and 2011-2015
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Clinical trial success rates by therapeutic area 2020
Clinical trial success rates by therapeutic area 2020
Clinical trial success rates by therapeutic area as of 2020*
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Basic Statistic
Number of registered clinical studies by location worldwide 2022
Number of registered clinical studies by location worldwide 2022
Number of registered clinical studies worldwide by location as of November 2022
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Basic Statistic
Percent of registered clinical studies worldwide by location 2022
Percent of registered clinical studies worldwide by location 2022
Percentage of registered clinical studies worldwide by location as of November 2022
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Basic Statistic
Share of recruiting clinical studies worldwide by location 2022
Share of recruiting clinical studies worldwide by location 2022
Percentage of registered recruiting clinical studies worldwide by location as of November 2022
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Premium Statistic
Total number of registered clinical studies worldwide 2000-2022
Total number of registered clinical studies worldwide 2000-2022
Total number of registered clinical studies worldwide since 2000 (as of November 2022)
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Basic Statistic
Total number of registered clinical studies with posted results worldwide 2008-2022
Total number of registered clinical studies with posted results worldwide 2008-2022
Total number of registered clinical studies with posted results worldwide since 2008 (as of November 2022)
Participation
4
- Basic Statistic Top clinical trial participant countries worldwide 2015-19, by share
- Basic Statistic Clinical trial participants U.S. vs. rest of world by therapy area 2015-2019
- Basic Statistic Clinical trial participants gender share worldwide 2015-19, by geographic location
- Basic Statistic Clinical trial participants ethnicity share worldwide 2015-19, by geographic location
Participation
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Basic Statistic
Top clinical trial participant countries worldwide 2015-19, by share
Top clinical trial participant countries worldwide 2015-19, by share
Top 20 clinical trial participant countries worldwide in 2015-2019, by share of participants
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Basic Statistic
Clinical trial participants U.S. vs. rest of world by therapy area 2015-2019
Clinical trial participants U.S. vs. rest of world by therapy area 2015-2019
Number of clinical trial participants in the U.S. and rest of the world in 2015-2019, by therapeutic area (in 1,000s)
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Basic Statistic
Clinical trial participants gender share worldwide 2015-19, by geographic location
Clinical trial participants gender share worldwide 2015-19, by geographic location
Gender share of clinical trial participants worldwide in 2015-2019, by geographic location
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Basic Statistic
Clinical trial participants ethnicity share worldwide 2015-19, by geographic location
Clinical trial participants ethnicity share worldwide 2015-19, by geographic location
Ethnicity share of clinical trial participants worldwide in 2015-2019, by geographic location
Costs and market
7
- Basic Statistic Pharmaceuticals: cost of drug development in the U.S. since 1975
- Premium Statistic R&D expenditure of new therapeutic drugs 2009-2018
- Basic Statistic Estimated clinical trial cost per patient by therapeutic class 2015-2017
- Basic Statistic Estimated clinical trial cost per drug by therapeutic class 2015-2017
- Basic Statistic Clinical CRO market size worldwide 2015-2024
- Premium Statistic Global pharma CRO market size 2015-2024, by pre-clinical, clinical and discovery
- Premium Statistic Size of total U.S. clinical trial supplies market 2016-2025
Costs and market
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Basic Statistic
Pharmaceuticals: cost of drug development in the U.S. since 1975
Pharmaceuticals: cost of drug development in the U.S. since 1975
Cost of developing a drug in the U.S. from the 1970s until today (in million U.S. dollars)*
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R&D expenditure of new therapeutic drugs 2009-2018
R&D expenditure of new therapeutic drugs 2009-2018
Mean and median R&D expenditure on new drugs by therapeutic area between 2009 and 2018* (in million U.S. dollars)
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Basic Statistic
Estimated clinical trial cost per patient by therapeutic class 2015-2017
Estimated clinical trial cost per patient by therapeutic class 2015-2017
Estimated clinical trial cost per patient by therapeutic area in 2015-2017* (in U.S. dollars)
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Basic Statistic
Estimated clinical trial cost per drug by therapeutic class 2015-2017
Estimated clinical trial cost per drug by therapeutic class 2015-2017
Estimated clinical trial cost per drug by therapeutic area in 2015-2017* (in million U.S. dollars)
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Basic Statistic
Clinical CRO market size worldwide 2015-2024
Clinical CRO market size worldwide 2015-2024
Clinical contract research organization (CRO) market worldwide from 2015 to 2024 (in billion U.S. dollars)
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Global pharma CRO market size 2015-2024, by pre-clinical, clinical and discovery
Global pharma CRO market size 2015-2024, by pre-clinical, clinical and discovery
Global pharmaceutical CRO market size from 2015 to 2024, by pre-clinical, clinical and discovery (in billion U.S. dollars)
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Size of total U.S. clinical trial supplies market 2016-2025
Size of total U.S. clinical trial supplies market 2016-2025
Size of the total U.S. clinical trial supplies market from 2016 to 2025 (in million U.S. dollars)
Approvals, launches, setbacks
6
- Premium Statistic Pharmaceutical industry - number of new substances 1998-2021
- Premium Statistic Number of novel drugs approved annually by CDER 2008-2022
- Basic Statistic Key measurements of U.S. CDER drug approvals in 2022
- Basic Statistic FDA first premarket approvals for medtech products granted 2005-2021
- Premium Statistic Projection of top 2023 pharma and biotech launches by revenue 2028
- Basic Statistic Number of unsuccessful Alzheimer’s drugs in development in the U.S. 1998-2017
Approvals, launches, setbacks
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Pharmaceutical industry - number of new substances 1998-2021
Pharmaceutical industry - number of new substances 1998-2021
Number of new chemical or biological entities developed between 1998 and 2021, by region of origin
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Number of novel drugs approved annually by CDER 2008-2022
Number of novel drugs approved annually by CDER 2008-2022
Total number of novel drugs approved by CDER from 2008 to 2022
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Basic Statistic
Key measurements of U.S. CDER drug approvals in 2022
Key measurements of U.S. CDER drug approvals in 2022
Percentage of drugs approved by the U.S. Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) in 2022 that met select key measurements
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Basic Statistic
FDA first premarket approvals for medtech products granted 2005-2021
FDA first premarket approvals for medtech products granted 2005-2021
Number of first premarket approvals (PMA/HDE) granted by the FDA for medtech products from 2005 to 2021
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Projection of top 2023 pharma and biotech launches by revenue 2028
Projection of top 2023 pharma and biotech launches by revenue 2028
Leading biotech and pharma product launches in 2023 and revenue forecasts for 2028 (in billion U.S. dollars)
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Basic Statistic
Number of unsuccessful Alzheimer’s drugs in development in the U.S. 1998-2017
Number of unsuccessful Alzheimer’s drugs in development in the U.S. 1998-2017
Number of unsuccessful Alzheimer’s drugs in development in the U.S. from 1998 to 2017
COVID-19
4
- Premium Statistic Top companies by COVID-19 treatment vaccines in development June 2022
- Basic Statistic Number of COVID-19 drugs in development worldwide by phase June 2022
- Basic Statistic Number of COVID-19 treatment vaccine trials worldwide by phase June 2022
- Basic Statistic Number of COVID-19 treatment vaccine trials worldwide by type June 2022
COVID-19
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Top companies by COVID-19 treatment vaccines in development June 2022
Top companies by COVID-19 treatment vaccines in development June 2022
Leading companies by number of COVID-19 drugs and vaccines in development as of June 3, 2022
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Basic Statistic
Number of COVID-19 drugs in development worldwide by phase June 2022
Number of COVID-19 drugs in development worldwide by phase June 2022
Number of coronavirus (COVID-19) drugs and vaccines in development worldwide as of June 3, 2022, by phase
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Basic Statistic
Number of COVID-19 treatment vaccine trials worldwide by phase June 2022
Number of COVID-19 treatment vaccine trials worldwide by phase June 2022
Number of coronavirus (COVID-19) clinical trials for drugs and vaccines worldwide as of June 3, 2022, by phase
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Basic Statistic
Number of COVID-19 treatment vaccine trials worldwide by type June 2022
Number of COVID-19 treatment vaccine trials worldwide by type June 2022
Number of coronavirus (COVID-19) clinical trials for drugs and vaccines worldwide as of June 3, 2022, by type*
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