Digital Clinical Trial Recruitment Market Size (2022 – 2030)

In 2022, the Global Digital Clinical Trial Recruitment Market was valued at USD 3.51 billion and is projected to reach a market size of USD 11.51 billion by 2030. Over the forecast period of 2023-2030, the market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 16%.  Digital clinical trials (DCTs) are growing in popularity due to the requirement for patient heterogeneity along with improved data collecting in clinical studies. The volume and complexity of trials have risen due to an increase in the R&D of novel medicines and vaccines. Conventional research studies have several drawbacks, including patient recruiting delays and time-consuming processes. Virtual clinical trials alleviate these issues and thus are widely used which is consequently driving the digital clinical trial recruitment market.

INDUSTRY OVERVIEW

Pharmaceutical companies are continuously attempting to develop and conduct clinical studies on patients in the most efficient way possible. These operations generally require a large percentage of the research and development (R&D) budget, and failing quickly in trials is often regarded as better than succeeding. According to a study published by the Tufts Center for the Study of Medicine Development (CSDD), the cost of producing a prescription drug that is approved for the market is USD 2.6 billion. Companies are progressively integrating R&D data for faster and better decision-making, as well as utilising computational approaches and predictive analytics techniques to boost clinical trial efficiency and success rates. As the healthcare ecosystem grows, there will be more chances for clinical trials to assess and fine-tune developing patient-centric techniques. Digital technologies provide new avenues for reimagining clinical trials, as well as a paradigm change in how trials are conceived, implemented, and assessed. Patient recruiting is regarded to be one of the rates limiting processes in getting medications to market, among other acknowledged hurdles.

Due to the aforementioned challenges, several pharmaceutical companies have decided to outsource their patient recruitment needs to capable and specialised service providers. It's been proven that using contract service providers speeds up the patient recruitment process. Such service providers use a variety of outreach methods, including social media, mobile technologies, electronic health records (EHRs), and real-world evidence (RWE), and have played an increasingly important role in the successful conduct of clinical research over time. Clinical trials are an important element of the entire drug development process since they allow innovators to examine the safety and efficacy of their pharmaceutical candidates. Approximately half of the time and money is spent on the development process. However, conducting trials is fraught with difficulties, including scientific and operational complexity, worries about recruiting and retaining qualified patients, data management issues, and increasingly strict regulatory standards. Digital clinical trial recruitment solutions can bring about significant digital improvements in clinical research techniques, resulting in a more patient-centric, cost-effective, and manageable approach. They allow members to take part in studies from the comfort of their own homes, rather than having to go to a research site, which increases participant engagement and retention. Several businesses are now working on clinical trials software, which will help drug researchers improve the quality of their clinical goods while also shortening the time it takes to get a medication to market. Over the previous few years, the market has seen an increase in partnership activity. The operation in this area has piqued the interest of both private and governmental sector investors/investment funds, which have lent financial backing to the projects of capable developer firms. The clinical trials software market is expected to develop at a respectable rate in the medium to long term, thanks to significant growth in this sector, good virtual clinical trial outcomes, and continued technical innovation.

COVD-19 IMPACT ON DIGITAL CLINICAL TRIAL RECRUITMENT MARKET

COVID-19 was the most important event impacting the economy and industry around the world. The pandemic has demanded an insightful change for the market players regarding the need for enhancing capacity, risk management, and supply chain and inventory control. The Pharmaceutical industries adapted to the needful changes in the operations and continued throughout 2020 generally without major setbacks. Clinical trials have grown more difficult to undertake during the COVID-19 epidemic. To solve these issues, pharmaceutical companies have used cutting-edge digital health technology such as mobile devices, innovative applications, remote monitoring devices, telemedicine, and online social interaction platforms to perform virtual clinical trials. Various clinical trials software, such as EDC, eCOA/ePRO, and eConsent integrated clinical study automation software, are also being sought to collect data at various stages of the trial, enhance trial participating member recruitment and retention, facilitate eConsent, quantify real-time clinical results, and monitor unfavourable actions in real-time.

MARKET DRIVERS: 

Digital platforms make it possible for patients and pharma companies to connect with more suited clinical studies and thus is the major reason behind the market growth

One of the most difficult components of operating clinical research is finding patients. 77 % of Americans are at least somewhat willing to engage in a trial, according to the CISCRIP's 2021 Perceptions and Insights Study. When a patient registers interest in a trial but is subsequently informed that they are ineligible, many are uninformed of other possibilities and opt-out of future clinical trial prospects. Patient recruitment companies can use digital recruiting to acquire opted-in patient information and use it to share new trial possibilities that come up in the future. You're more likely to identify interested patients willing to take the following steps if you reach out to patients who have already raised their hands to participate. A database of patients that have shown interest could be used by a company that recruits patients for clinical trials.

Clinical trial recruiting delays are one of the most expensive aspects of drug development. Recruiting patients online for trial will reduce the delay and cost which is propelling the market growth

Virtual clinical trials (VCT) eliminate the restrictions of traditional clinical trials, such as time-consuming processes and patient recruitment delays, which has propelled the digital clinical trial and recruitment industry. The pharma and research institutes are making use of digital platforms as it provides them with better outreach when compared to the traditional outreach methods and thus propelling the digital clinical trial recruitment market growth.

MARKET RESTRAINTS: 

Recruitment and retention of patients are posing a threat to the global market

The shift in focus to hereditary and rare disorders has made finding a suitable patient population a difficult challenge. Furthermore, CROs have a difficult environment because patients are unaware of clinical trials. Patient fear of adverse effects, illiteracy, communication barrier for region-specific clinical trials, and documentation of the consent process are all factors that contribute to low digital clinical patient recruitment hampering the market growth.

Concerns regarding the privacy and security related issues are a major factor inhibiting the growth of the digital clinical recruitment market

The increase in usage of digital platforms poses security and privacy issues. The high risk of hackers accessing the system data and unauthorized access to data can be exploited for carrying out malicious or criminal activities and can act as a threat. Breach of sensitive data such as patient addresses, vital health parameters etc. can potentially harm the patient thus creating a trust deficit. Due to this, regulations are constantly evolving to cater for the changing needs. The increasing data breaches and cyber-attacks, and rising data security concerns act as a hindrance to the growth of the market.

DIGITAL CLINICAL TRIAL RECRUITMENT MARKET REPORT COVERAGE:

This research report on Digital Clinical Trial Recruitment Market has been segmented and sub-segmented based on Study Type, Enrollment Method, By Phase, By Indication and By Region.

DIGITAL CLINICAL TRIAL RECRUITMENT MARKET – BY STUDY TYPE

• Interventional
• Observational
• Expanded Access
• Others

Based on study type, the digital clinical trial recruitment market can be segmented into Interventional and Observational among others. Among these, the interventional segment dominated the market in 2021. It accounted for over 45% of the market share and is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 6% over the forecast period. A great number of interventional studies on autoimmune/inflammation are being undertaken around the world, which explains the high percentage. On clinicaltrials.gov, there are nearly 7,000 autoimmune/inflammation-related interventional studies. During the projection period, expanded access studies, also known as compassionate use trials, are expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.5 %. When no suitable medicines are available, it may be a viable option for individuals with critical illness conditions to receive therapy outside of the trial. The extended access trials market is expected to be driven by increasing innovation in clinical trial approaches. 

DIGITAL CLINICAL TRIAL RECRUITMENT MARKET – BY ENROLLMENT METHOD

• Social Media
• TV
• Radio
• Newspaper
• Others

Based on enrollments methods, the digital clinical trial recruitment market is segmented into, social media, Tv, Radio and Newspaper. Among these, the social media platform segment dominated the market and is projected to continue with this trend over the forecast period. The pharma companies and research institute widely used social media platforms to recruit 60% of the people they selected for clinical trials. Traditional broadcasting methods such as TV, radio and newspaper grabbed the second spot as a potential method for recruiting people for clinical trials. Other methods of outreach include print advertisements (32%), patient advocacy groups (32%), physician referrals (30%), cold calls/call centres (28%), patient networks (27%), proprietary patient databases (27%), direct mail/e-mail (24%), and electronic medical records (EMRs), pharmacy, and health care data (14%). 

DIGITAL CLINICAL TRIAL RECRUITMENT MARKET – BY PHASE

• PHASE I
• PHASE II
• PHASE III
• PHASE IV

Based on Phases, the digital clinical trial recruitment market is segmented into Phase I, Phase II Phase III and Phase IV. In 2020, the phase III category led the digital clinical trial recruitment market, accounting for 53.2 % of total revenue. This growth can be linked to the fact that phase III clinical studies are costly and include a large number of participants. From 2015 to 2016, the FDA authorised 59 novel medicinal medicines, with the average cost of a single-phase III clinical study being roughly USD 19.0 million. Phase III also necessitates a greater number of patients and, in many cases, a longer treatment term. 

In 2020, the phase II section brought in 19.6 %of the total income. After phase III, it is also the most expensive step. There are two aspects to this research. The initial step involves looking at a variety of dosages as well as efficacy trials, and the second half involves deciding on a dose. Phase II is extremely important, especially in cancer trials. Furthermore, many treatments and vaccines for the treatment of coronavirus are now in phase II studies, expanding the demand for digital clinical trials.

DIGITAL CLINICAL TRIAL RECRUITMENT MARKET – BY INDICATION

• Oncology,
• Cardiovascular
• Immunology
• Respiratory
• Gastrointestinal,
• Ophthalmology
• Others

Based on indications, the digital clinical trial recruitment market is segmented into Oncology, Cardiovascular, Immunology, Respiratory, Gastrointestinal and Ophthalmology among others. In 2020, the oncology category led the market, accounting for over 35% of the market share. During the forecast period, this category is also predicted to contribute the most to market revenue and is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 6%. This is due to an increase in the number of oncology clinical trials as well as the number of cancer cases on a global scale. Over the projection period, the cardiovascular category is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.7 per cent. With more than 190 medications in the pipeline, the rising prevalence and demand for cost-effective treatment have led to tremendous investment in R&D in this market throughout the world. Heart failure, lipid problems, vascular illnesses, and stroke are the most common conditions for which medicines are being developed. The government's R&D spending in this area is likely to increase as demand for cost-effective treatment grows in poor and middle-income nations, bolstering the market for clinical trials. The aforementioned reasons are making pharmaceuticals company adopt various methods for outreach and recruiting people for trial processes which is eventually fueling the digital clinical trial recruitment market.

DIGITAL CLINICAL TRIAL RECRUITMENT MARKET - BY REGION

• North America
• Europe
• The Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• The Middle East
• Africa

North America emerged as the dominant region in the virtual clinical trials market in 2021, accounting for 49.2 %of total revenue. Over the forecast timeframe, the segment is supposed to hold its dominance. This is due to increased R&D in the region, as well as increased adoption of new technology in clinical research and government funding. Digital technologies are likewise being used by market participants to suit customer wants. Parexel, for example, conducted over 100 decentralised trials, including hybrid and virtual techniques. Patients can participate in the research at one of Covance's 1,900 LabCorp Patient Service Centers across the United States.

The market for virtual clinical trials in the Asia Pacific is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR of 6.8% during the forecast period, owing to the increasing availability of a large patient pool that allows for easy recruitment of candidates, as well as the region's increased adoption of digital technologies. Furthermore, the coronavirus outbreak is expected to increase telemedicine use, propelling the market in the region. In 2020, Japan was the largest market in the Asia Pacific, owing to high healthcare and R&D spending, as well as rising demand for virtual clinical trials.

DIGITAL CLINICAL TRIAL RECRUITMENT MARKET- BY COMPANIES

The global virtual clinical trial market is aggressively competitive. The rapid adoption of modern technologies for enhanced healthcare is a significant factor determining competitive nature. In addition, players are purchasing, collaborating, and partnering with other companies to increase market share. Covance, for example, said in May 2020 that it was expanding its technology ecosystem to speed up the implementation of decentralised clinical trials. This is accomplished through a partnership with Medable, a leading software vendor for digital clinical trials. The following are some of the major players in the virtual clinical trials market:

1. ICON, plc
2. Parexel International Corporation
3. IQVIA
4. Covance
5. Oracle
6. LEO Innovation Lab
7. CRF Health
8. PRA Health Sciences
9. Medidata
10. Clinical Ink
11. Medable Inc.

NOTABLE HAPPENING DIGITAL CLINICAL TRIAL RECRUITMENT MARKET

• PRODUCT LAUNCH- Janssen Pharmaceuticals and PRA Health Sciences recently devised the world's first decentralised, mobile, indication-seeking clinical trial, which will begin in June 2020.
• COLLABORATION - IQVIA and LMC Manna Research, Canada's biggest network of fully-owned integrated locations, collaborated in July 2020. The goal of the agreement was to establish its first Prime Site in Canada. The goal of this collaboration was to streamline processes and shorten the time it took to begin clinical studies due to recruiting patients and other processes.
• COLLABORATION- Sanofi has partnered with Science37, a clinical research services and technology business based in California, to take a digital approach to clinical trials. Sanofi will be capable of developing "site-less" or decentralised clinical trials that are more patient-friendly, by utilising mobile technology and telemedicine functionality.
• COLLABORATION- The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the United States (US) are both engaged in using digital technology to reduce clinical trial expenses and efforts while moving toward a more patient-centred trial experience.