10 surprising medical research statistics for Clinical Trials Day

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Clinical Trials Day takes place on May 20 each year. It celebrates the thousands of medical research volunteers who participate in trials for a wide range of conditions and raises awareness that even more volunteers are needed to advance medical research. In honor of Clinical Trials Day, we're sharing some interesting statistics that paint the picture of the current state of clinical research, and the importance of trial participation. 

  • More than 20,000 clinical trials are actively recruiting patients in the U.S.
  • The FDA approved 309 new drugs between 2011 and 2018, 38 per year on average.
  • In 2018, the FDA approved 59 new drugs – an all-time high. 
  • 80% of clinical trials will not meet their patient enrollment deadlines.
  • The industry loses an average of $40 billion per year on drug development, part of which is due to trial delays. 
  • 95% of medical research volunteers would consider participating in another trial, according to an Antidote patient survey. 
  • 85% of patients are either unaware or unsure that participation in a clinical trial was an option at the time of diagnosis.
  • 75% of patients said they would have been willing to enroll in a clinical trial had they been aware of one
  • 55% of clinical trial participants report that advancing medical research is the top benefit of trial participation.
  • 53% of participants join to help improve the lives of others.

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