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How much do clinical trials cost?

Nature Reviews Drug Discovery volume 16, pages 381–382 (2017)Cite this article

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Despite a clear need to understand the costs of drug development and the factors responsible, there has been a surprising gap in the data relating to how much it actually costs to conduct clinical trials. Without reliable benchmarks, it is difficult for companies to identify the key pain points in their processes and then chart a path towards improvement. In addition, lack of information makes forecasting and planning budgets more challenging, particularly when embarking on new development paths or running trials in areas in which a company has limited experience.

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Figure 1: Components of the costs of phase III trials.
Figure 2: Costs of clinical trials.

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  1. KMR Group, 150 N. Wacker Drive, Suite 1070, Chicago, 60606, Illinois, USA

    Linda Martin, Melissa Hutchens, Conrad Hawkins & Alaina Radnov

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  1. Linda Martin
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  2. Melissa Hutchens
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  3. Conrad Hawkins
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  4. Alaina Radnov
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Correspondence to Linda Martin.

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Competing interests

The authors of this article are employees of KMR group, a leading management consultancy that focuses on benchmarking, analytics and performance management for biopharmaceutical companies.

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Martin, L., Hutchens, M., Hawkins, C. et al. How much do clinical trials cost?. Nat Rev Drug Discov 16, 381–382 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrd.2017.70

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrd.2017.70

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