Iran-Israel Conflict Disrupts Global Clinical Trial Landscape as India Overtakes Iran in Q2 2025
Key Insights
The escalating Iran-Israel conflict significantly impacted clinical trial initiations in Q2 2025, with India overtaking Iran in trial numbers outside North America and Europe.
Iran initiated 348 trials in Q2 2025 compared to India's 944 trials, marking a notable shift in the global clinical research landscape.
Oncology (search) remained the dominant therapeutic area with 1,674 trials launched or scheduled, while central nervous system studies followed with 1,521 trials.
The escalating conflict between Israel, Iran and the US has significantly disrupted global clinical trial activity, with India overtaking Iran in trial initiations outside North America and Europe during Q2 2025, according to new analysis by GlobalData (search).
Geopolitical Impact on Clinical Research
GlobalData (search)'s latest quarterly report reveals that Iran initiated 348 trials in Q2 2025, while India conducted 944 trials during the same period. This shift potentially reflects the impact of regional conflict on Iran's clinical research infrastructure and international collaborations.
Despite these regional changes, China continued to dominate clinical trial activity outside of North America and Europe throughout Q2. A previous GlobalData (search) report from January 2025 showed that China had overtaken the US in industry-sponsored clinical trials for innovator drugs in 2024, though most of these studies are single-country trials that could create barriers to market entry for companies seeking US or European approval.
Rising Costs Challenge Global Sponsors
The clinical trials landscape faces mounting cost pressures globally, with expenses rising due to the need for more qualified staff, complex trial designs, and increased material costs. These financial challenges have been exacerbated by policy changes, including Trump's tariffs, which are expected to impact the clinical trial supply chain.
China's expanding clinical trials footprint offers cost advantages compared to the US market, providing sponsors with alternative options amid rising global trial expenses.
Oncology Maintains Therapeutic Leadership
Oncology (search) remained the leading therapeutic area globally, with 1,674 oncology-related trials either launched or scheduled to commence in Q2 2025. This represents an increase from 1,637 trials recorded during the same period in 2024.
Central nervous system (CNS) studies ranked as the second most active therapeutic area, with 1,521 trials scheduled and initiated in Q2 2025, compared to 1,429 trials in Q2 2024.
Within the oncology (search) category, solid tumors (search) dominated the research landscape with 1,360 trials. In the CNS therapeutic area, pain (search) management emerged as the most studied indication, accounting for 772 trials.
Industry Sponsorship Patterns
Kathryn Kinch, senior pharma product manager at GlobalData (search), noted that "AstraZeneca led among large- and mega-cap sponsors of drug trials. Oncology (search) trials dominated the landscape, making up the largest share of new trials, with solid tumours as the most studied indication and pain (search) leading in central nervous system research."
The quarterly CRO Activity and Intel report, which tracks global clinical trial trends, bases its findings on database information current as of July 10, 2025. The report also identifies the top 10 trial sites across North America, Europe, and other global regions based on trial initiation numbers.