New Delhi: A new international study has revealed that India’s progress in cancer-related clinical research has been inconsistent since 2001, despite the country’s robust economic growth. The findings highlight persistent inequalities in how low and middle-income countries (LMICs) are developing cancer research capabilities.
Published in the journal CANCER, the study analysed global clinical trial data from 2001 to 2020, drawing from World Bank and ClinicalTrials.gov records to assess how economic shifts influenced the number and complexity of cancer trials in LMICs.
Over the two decades, 16,977 cancer trials were registered across LMICs — a sharp rise from 1,053 between 2001–2005 to 7,661 between 2016–2020. In India, the number of registered cancer trials increased from 54 in the early 2000s to 126 in recent years, totalling 506 trials overall.
However, researchers found that only a few countries — notably China and South Korea — demonstrated steady and sustained growth in high-complexity, independent cancer research. In contrast, India, Thailand, and Vietnam, despite significant economic advancement, showed irregular patterns of growth in clinical trial activity.
Meanwhile, Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico in South America recorded notable improvements in cancer research output despite relatively modest economic growth. Egypt also showed balanced progress across both economic and research fronts, while South Africa did not follow a similar pattern.
The study concluded that while economic development contributes to expanding cancer research capacity, it is not the sole determining factor. The authors called for more coordinated policy support, infrastructure development, and funding mechanisms to help LMICs strengthen their clinical research ecosystems and address the growing global burden of cancer.
