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How Working with a Regional CRO in APAC Can Reduce Costs and Improve Efficiency

Asia-Pacific (APAC) has emerged as a popular destination for clinical trials in recent years, with the region hosting nearly half of all trials conducted globally.


Comprising a diverse group of countries, including China, India, South Korea, Australia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, APAC offers a clinical research landscape that blends cost efficiency, operational agility, and access to diverse patient populations. The region's advancements in healthcare infrastructure and its growing alignment with international regulatory standards have only reinforced its position as a clinical trial hub.


However, conducting regional clinical trials in a region this complex and diverse comes with a unique set of challenges for trial sponsors. Regulatory complexities, language barriers, and limited access to local resources are just some of the obstacles that a global biotech or pharmaceutical company can face when conducting clinical research in APAC.

This article will explore how partnering with a regional Contract Research Organisation (CRO) based in APAC can not only help sponsors overcome these issues, but also reduce trial costs, streamline project management, and accelerate trial timelines.


Clinical Research Project Management: How APAC-Based CROs Reduce Costs and Boost Efficiency


Efficient clinical research project management is critical to the success of regional trials. By partnering with regional CROs in APAC, trial sponsors can leverage their expertise to optimise budgets, accelerate timelines, and maintain the highest standards of quality and compliance.


1.   Streamlined Regulatory Navigation

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Clinical research project management becomes more challenging when sponsors must navigate the varying regulatory requirements across APAC countries. Fortunately, regional CROs are usually embedded within the local environment, giving them real-time access to evolving regulatory changes, cultural nuances, and procedural expectations.


CROs operating in APAC have extensive firsthand knowledge of country-specific regulatory landscapes, ranging from the Korean Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) in South Korea to Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority (HSA) to Malaysia’s National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA).


This familiarity with local regulatory bodies allows CROs to anticipate potential challenges, prepare accurate submission documents, and respond promptly to any issues brought up by the authorities. This significantly reduces the risk of delays stemming from documentation errors or misinterpretation of local laws.


Furthermore, through their established relationships with local health authorities and ethics committees, regional CROs can facilitate faster review and approval processes. For instance, they will know what regulatory bodies in different APAC countries expect and how to format submissions appropriately, enabling them to save both time and costs in the trial application process.


In addition to local regulatory expertise, CROs in APAC also help ensure that trials are conducted in full compliance with both local laws and international guidelines such as ICH-GCP. This results in fewer delays due to protocol deviations and reduces the need for any costly corrective actions on the part of trial sponsors.


2.   More Efficient, Cost-Effective Patient Recruitment and Retention

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APAC is home to more than 4 billion people, offering a vast and varied patient pool for clinical trials. This alone greatly helps speed up the process of conducting clinical research.


However, having a regional CRO partner goes beyond simply accessing this population. Working with a regional CRO ensures that trial recruitment strategies are tailored to be culturally appropriate, locally targeted, and efficiently executed.


Regional CROs possess a deep understanding of patient behavior, healthcare systems, and community dynamics unique to each country. This localized expertise allows them to craft tailored outreach and enrollment strategies that align with the cultural and social context of the target populations. As a result, these strategies not only resonate more effectively with local communities but also lead to faster patient recruitment and higher consent rates, significantly reducing trial timelines.


For instance, a regional CRO operating in APAC will ensure that all patient-facing materials undergo professional, validated translations into local languages. This process guarantees that the documents are not only linguistically accurate but also culturally appropriate and compliant with local regulatory requirements. By doing so, trial participants gain a clear understanding of the clinical research programme, enabling them to provide truly informed consent and participate with greater confidence. Such attention to detail fosters trust and engagement, ultimately improving trial outcomes and participant retention.


CROs with establishes local networks can more easily collaborate with local leaders and religious figures to build trust and address any religious or cultural concerns.  For example, in Muslim-majority populations, it’s essential to provide information about trial medications and procedures that align with Islamic guidelines. This includes ensuring that the medication provided is Halal-compliant and free from prohibited substances according to Islam.


Additionally, the cost of recruiting and retaining patients in countries like China, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines is significantly lower compared to Western markets, making APAC an attractive option for sponsors looking to optimize budgets without sacrificing quality.


By proactively addressing these considerations, regional CROs help foster more efficient patient recruitment and retention, ultimately saving costs by reducing dropout rates and avoiding delays in reaching recruitment targets.


3.   Comprehensive Site Setup and Management

Professional equipment for scientific research displayed on desk at lab

Regional CROs often have long-standing, collaborative relationships with clinical sites and experienced research teams throughout the APAC region. These established networks allow CROs to quickly identify suitable sites based on trial infrastructure needs, patient access, and past performance.


With CROs based locally in the region, sponsors benefit from accelerated site preparation, contract negotiations, seamless logistical coordination, and reliable access to the necessary infrastructure and resources to support smooth trial execution.


Additionally, having a local CRO partner physically present in the country offers a significant advantage when it comes to monitoring and managing clinical trial activities. On-the-ground staff can conduct site visits as needed and at lower cost, enabling close and cost-effective oversight of protocol adherence, patient safety, and data integrity.


This local presence enables CROs to respond quickly to issues that arise during the trial, whether addressing logistical challenges or replacing critical equipment, avoiding the delays often associated with remote trial management from outside the region.


4.   Leveraging Regional Talent for Rapid Trial Execution

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CROs in the APAC region also help accelerate clinical trial timelines by providing direct access to a highly skilled local workforce with strong expertise in clinical research.

Leveraging regional talent significantly cuts down on delays and expenses related to onboarding and training international personnel. Local clinical research professionals are already familiar with the regulatory environment, cultural context, and language, thus eliminating the steep learning curve that comes with deploying global teams into new markets.


By partnering with a regional CRO, sponsors can efficiently source and engage qualified experts who are vital for conducting clinical trials. This essential talent pool includes Clinical Research Associates (CRAs) who carry out on-site monitoring and risk-based management, local regulatory affairs specialists who manage documentation and compliance matters, and in-region project managers that are familiar with the specific requirements and challenges of conducting clinical trials across the entire region.


A regional project manager brings invaluable insights into the cultural, regulatory, and operational nuances of the region, ensuring smoother communication with local stakeholders and quicker resolution of site-level issues. Their proximity to trial sites allows for more effective oversight, faster response times, and stronger relationships with investigators and site staff. This localized expertise not only enhances trial efficiency but also ensures that the study is conducted in compliance with both global and country-specific guidelines, ultimately reducing delays and minimizing risks.. 


All of this highlights how streamlined and cost-effective access to experienced, in-region professionals not only improves operational efficiency but also enhances the quality and speed of trial execution from start to finish.


Optimise Clinical Trial Project Management With a Trusted CRO Partner


As the Asia-Pacific region continues to attain prominence in the field of global clinical research, the role of experienced CROs has never been more vital. By leveraging local expertise, streamlining operations, and navigating regional complexities, a CRO partner can ensure that clinical research programmes in APAC are conducted as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.


At ClinActis, we specialise in delivering customised solutions for pharmaceutical and biotech companies conducting clinical trials across APAC.


As your trusted clinical research project manager, we combine deep regional knowledge, cultural insight, strong local networks, and robust trial management capabilities to streamline operations and optimise research outcomes across the APAC region.


Discover how ClinActis can drive the success of your clinical programme in APAC by exploring our full suite of services

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