New report finds decline in clinical trial recruitment for autoimmune disorders

The number of patients recruited to clinical trials for autoimmune disorders has waned in the last ten years, according to a new report available on companiesandmarkets.com. One of the reasons contributing to the decline is the stringent requirements associated with patient inclusion, which reduces the population of potential trial participants.

Clinical Trial Recruitment in Autoimmune Disorders-Average Patient Recruitment Per Trial has Continued to Decline Over the Past Decade

Clinical trial recruitment for five important autoimmune disorders is discussed at length within the report: Crohn's Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Psoriasis, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Ulcerative Colitis.

The last decade has seen a significant drop in patient numbers recruited to autoimmune disease clinical trials. In 2000 the average number of trial participants was 408, but has since reduced to just 74 in 2009.

During the reporting interval significantly fewer autoimmune disorder clinical trials were underway compared with other treatment trials. Only 668 autoimmune clinical trials took place over the ten year period.

Clinical trials for rheumatoid arthritis attracted more patients than any other autoimmune disease trial between 2000 and 2009, while the second highest number of trial volunteers was seen for multiple sclerosis - at over 28,000 participants.

The 95 page report, published in September 2011, discusses the clinical trial recruitment market at length, including historical data for the period 2000-2009. It includes a detailed review of the types and designs of clinical studies and the challenges experienced when trying to enrol and recruit patients.

Also included within the report is in-depth analysis of autoimmune clinical trials by phase, by sponsoring pharmaceutical company, by year of trial commencement and by geographical location: Asia, Europe, Middle East, South America and Central America, North America and the Rest of the World.

The report also provides an understanding of the likely prevalence of each of the five autoimmune diseases in the geographic regions of India, China and Brazil, where an increasing number of clinical trials are conducted.