Global Locations

Singapore is a recognized destination for clinical trials with multi‑ethnic populations.

Singapore is a recognized destination for clinical trials with multi‑ethnic populations including 74% Chinese, 13% Malay and 9% Indian.

Similarly, to what George Clinical provides in Hong Kong and Taiwan, Singapore offers regulatory services which includes acting as local sponsor while managing IP importations, project management, safety and pharmacovigilance (PV) reporting services.

Key advantages of conducting clinical trials with George Clinical in Singapore include a well‑established regulatory and ethics review framework; fast approval due to the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) adopting a risk‑based approach in the regulations of clinical trials of therapeutic products; and paperless submissions. Commercially, clients also have the convenience of doing business in the Asian market where English is the official language.

The Philippines offers a strong track record in the conduct of infectious diseases, oncology, metabolic disorders, respiratory and cardiovascular trials.

George Clinical’s Philippines office is based in the capital city, Manila and compliments the organization’s list of global locations. Currently, the Philippines has a population of more than 100 million making it a rich source of patients with a high probability of recruiting treatment‑native population.

Key advantages of conducting clinical trials with George Clinical in the Philippines include its high literacy rate with people fluent in the English language; wide network of hospitals and medical centers covering more than 17 regions; commonly lower cost of conducting clinical trials in comparison to other Asian countries; and most physicians in the Philippines have received US‑based training and experience.

Historically, the Philippines has a particularly strong track record in the conduct of infectious diseases, oncology, metabolic disorders, and respiratory and cardiovascular trials. George Clinical has an extensive track record in chronic disease trials that correlates directly with the most prevalent indications in the country.

Australia has a rich research environment, highly experienced investigators and research professionals, coupled with excellent health care infrastructure and a strong intellectual property regime.

Australia has a longstanding history of conducting clinical trials to a high standard.

Australia has a rich research environment, highly experienced investigators and research professionals, coupled with excellent health care infrastructure and a strong intellectual property regime. Many Australian investigators and researchers are world leaders in their field. There are many attractive features of research and development in Australia. Notably, current efforts to simplify the ethics approval process is ongoing. A new clinical trials website and a register for clinical trial participants also aim to facilitate the recruitment of subjects in Australia. Australia does not require full regulatory submission and approval for the conduct of clinical trials. Rather, it uses a notification process only which significantly reduces the time required to set up and start a clinical trial.

The Australian government also provides financial support to research through the R&D tax incentive, which provides either ‘cash back’ or tax offsets to R&D spend – ask us how to make the most of this incentive.

New Zealand offers a world class track record in early phase trials, proof of concept trials and independent, clean and precise clinical data.

New Zealand requires only one ethics committee review per study – reducing clinical trial start‑up timelines.

New Zealand has a respected reputation in medical research and is a place of innovation, honesty and entrepreneurial advancement. New Zealand offers a world class track record in early phase trials, proof of concept trials and independent, clean and precise clinical data.

New Zealand was the first country in the world to establish an electronic Population Health Index, a system that features a large database that contains approximately 20 years of health encounters and is now accompanied by an equally comprehensive Health Practitioner Index.

Sponsors who wish to conduct clinical trials in New Zealand simply make an application to Medsafe and Health and Disability Ethics Committees (HDECs), seeking permission to conduct a clinical trial in New Zealand and adhere to ongoing regulatory reporting procedures. Only one ethics committee review is required per study, which covers all sites. The process is simple and approximately takes 4‑6 weeks from submission to full approval. Furthermore, Medsafe’s Standing Committee On Therapeutic Trials (SCOTT) approval process takes a maximum of 45 days (typically less). This process is not required for medical devices or new indications of New Zealand registered formulations; however, it is necessary for non‑registered drug formulations.

New Zealand’s one ethical committee approval process does not require US FDA IDE filing prior to a study. As a result, sponsor’s wishing to develop medical devices for a rapid, cost‑effective means and gaining early proof of concept, should consider conducting their initial clinical trials in New Zealand.

George Clinical’s largest hub outside the head office of Sydney, offering full CRO services and a site network that spans the country.

China is George Clinical’s largest hub outside the head office of Sydney, offering full CRO services and a site network that spans the country.

With its large potential for patient recruitment and a rapidly growing pharmaceutical market, China – currently, the second largest in the world, is an obvious choice for many when entering the Asian market.

The Chinese healthcare delivery system consists of public hospitals and community healthcare centers, with an increasingly private care system. Recent NMPA (CFDA) changes in the regulatory environment have reinforced the need for quality data to be both verifiable and transparent with an increasing acceptance of ICH GCP standards. A complete overhaul of the regulatory process in July 2018 was undertaken to encourage innovation and shorten CTA approval times to 3 months. Additionally, truly innovative molecules may also apply for expedited approval shortening CTA approval times to as little as 2 months. A similar overhaul of the registration process has also been undertaken for medical devices and IVD products. These changes are significant and make China an increasingly attractive destination for trials.

George Clinical has been conducting clinical trials in China since 2007 with an extensive network of over 360 trial centers in 60 cities for Phase I‑IV trials.

George Clinical in India capable of offering the entire spectrum of clinical development services, including project management, clinical data management and project operations.

George Clinical’s long history in the sub‑continent includes extensive experience working in both urban and rural areas of India. With more than 500 sites and 1.4 billion people – including a vast treatment-naïve population and clinical development cost far lower than Western countries – India is an ideal destination for clinical trials. Many sites also have state‑of‑the‑art facilities and well‑trained clinical research professionals with excellent English skills.

India’s regulatory environment has improved significantly over the last few years. The New Drugs Clinical Trial Rules (NDCT) formalized in 2019 are balanced and well received by the global research community. Many of the sites are experienced and understand the requirements of conducting international clinical trials. Sites have been inspected by USFDA, MHRA, EMEA and other regulatory agencies in the past which demonstrates that quality clinical trials are being conducted in India and data from India are being accepted by regulatory authorities. These elements make India a highly attractive destination for clinical trials.

India has been conducting global studies for more than 30 years. Several guidelines provide the framework for clinical trial conduct in India, such as the Indian Good Clinical Practice, the Indian Council of Medical Research ethical guidelines and clinical trial‑related drug laws (NDCT 2019).
The cost to conduct a trial in India is estimated to be 40 to 70 percent lower compared to the United States or European Union.

Hong Kong is George Clinical’s East Asia hub, overseeing our operations in Taiwan and Malaysia.

Hong Kong is George Clinical’s East Asia hub, overseeing our operations in Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Hong Kong has a long history of international research with sophisticated infrastructure and resources across all phases. A small, densely populated area, Hong Kong’s world‑class hospitals offer excellent recruitment potential. Hong Kong has a long and impressive track record of conducting global clinical trials. Since the introduction of ICH GCP in 1996, Hong Kong has participated in over 1000 global clinical trials. Hong Kong has had a history of high‑quality clinical research output and plays a role in scientific leadership in Asia.

Hong Kong has excellent infrastructure in terms of transportation, workforce and legal framework. Hong Kong has an outstanding healthcare system, as indicated by one of the lowest infant mortality rates and the longest life expectancy in the world. There are 42 public hospitals that provide 90% of the medical care in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong is officially recognized by China State Food and Drug Administration for conducting clinical trials for drug registration purposes in mainland China in certain therapeutic areas. There is strong government support for clinical research, with the recent example being the set up of two Phase I centers at leading teaching hospitals in Hong Kong.

Clinical trial data from Hong Kong can be used to file new drug applications, making Hong Kong a gateway to mainland China.

With a strong growth market for drug development, dense population, and a universal healthcare system, Taiwan is an ideal location for clinical trials.

Taiwan is one of George Clinical’s fastest‑growing Asian hubs. With a strong growth market for drug development, a dense population, and a universal healthcare system, Taiwan is an ideal location for clinical trials. George Clinical’s on‑the‑ground clinical team leader oversees a number of our CRAs and CTAs in delivering customer projects across Taiwan. The Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) was established by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) to assist the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) in the technical review of new drugs, medical devices and clinical trials to fulfill regulatory requirements.

The MOHW regularly accredits sites for clinical trial conduct, where the certificate is valid for four years. There are 128 qualified sites for conducting clinical trials in Taiwan. Known centers for excellence include the National Taiwan University Hospital, which currently runs more than 600 clinical trials, including 43 Phase I clinical trials; and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, which currently runs more than 500 clinical trials. There is strong government support for clinical trials.

Malaysia is George Clinical’s Southeast Asian hub, where we cover neighboring countries of Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines – accessing a population of almost 400 million multi‑ethnic people.

Malaysia is George Clinical’s Southeast Asian hub, where we cover neighboring countries of Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines – accessing a population of almost 400 million multi‑ethnic people.

Singapore is a recognized destination for clinical trials, yet other countries are fast emerging as more governments commit to streamlining their clinical research industry. Malaysia implements a universal healthcare system that co‑exists with a private healthcare system. Malaysia has a multi‑ethnic population of over 30 million, with moderate life expectancy and infant mortality rate. The government has committed funding to improve the healthcare systems in order to support medical tourism and clinical research. The network of Clinical Research Centres, as well as Clinical Research Malaysia, is part of the government effort to improve the country’s infrastructure to support the industry. To date, Malaysia has 90 industry‑sponsored research (ISR) trial sites which are approved by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and local IRBs/ IECs, consisting of 11 prime sites network. They are a mixture of public, teaching and private hospitals, and have participated in over 1,000 ISR trials that require ICH GCP compliance.

South Korea is a recognized hub for clinical research in the Asian region, with more clinical trials recorded than any other Asian country between 2001 and 2012.

South Korea is a recognized hub for clinical research in the Asia Pacific region, with more clinical trials recorded than any other Asian country between 2001 and 2017.

There are many government support structures for conducting research in Korea. This, coupled with a sophisticated infrastructure, a large population and a market size of approximately USD 20 billion, Korea attracts a large number of industry sponsors. Strong government support exists to encourage clinical trials in Korea.

Korea is the leading clinical trial destination in the Asian region. Between 2001 and 2012, Korea had the highest number of clinical trials compared to other Asian countries. Approximately 45 % of clinical trials in Korea are multinational trials.  There is strong government support to develop Korean clinical trial capacity and capability, and in particular to train clinical trial professionals and develop world‑class sites.

The regulatory body responsible for administering the regulatory framework in Korea is the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS). The MFDS has a policy of encouraging global trial participation and simultaneous global registration, which is evident from the many government incentives to promote international clinical trials. Only sites accredited by the MFDS may conduct clinical trials. There are more than 180 accredited sites in Korea.

Europe has a consistent reputation for quality research.

Europe enjoys a consistent reputation for quality research and has some of the best healthcare systems in the world.

Consisting of >50 countries, Europe has a very large and diverse patient population with access to private, academic and national hospitals.

In comparison with the healthcare systems of other developed nations, the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) is rated as one of the best. The Department of Health created the National Institute for Health Research to establish a high‑end health system within the NHS. The Clinical Research Network is part of this organization.

The Clinical Research Network provides a good infrastructure to support clinical research in the UK and the European Union, and provides support including identifying and recruiting patients, providing training so that researchers have access to experienced people.

George Clinical, the leading Asia‑Pacific CRO, continues to expand its presence in the USA beyond oncology but also in renal, vascular and neurology therapeutic areas.

Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, George Clinical has offices in China, India, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and multiple offices in the USA.

Over the years, George Clinical has grown rapidly across the Asia‑Pacific region and is continuing to develop its global operations. The combination of a strong commercial proficiency and clinical research and scientific excellence positions George Clinical as a high quality, global CRO with substantial clinical and scientific assets.

George Clinical’s operations now expand further in the USA, with nearly 100 people and leaders specializing in oncology, renal, vascular and neurology trials. We offer full‑service capabilities for the clinical trials we manage for our important clients. We are here to support our USA customers with their clinical trial and scientific leadership needs and to lead trials across our core operational facilities in the Asia‑Pacific and European regions.