Singapore Clinical Trials Symposium 2026: Asia Charts Path to Become Global Epicenter for Clinical Research
Key Insights
SCRI Clinical Trials Symposium 2026 convened in Singapore on July 30, marking SCRI's 30th anniversary with a focus on positioning Asia as a leading clinical trial destination.
Three Memoranda of Understanding were signed, including a partnership with AstraZeneca to bring innovative trials in ADCs, cell and gene therapies, and bispecific antibodies to Singapore over five years.
STCC Executive Director Wee Joo Chng emphasized that Asia has the patients, unmet medical needs, top-class science, and infrastructure to become a global clinical trial epicenter.
The Singapore Clinical Research Institute (SCRI) convened its Clinical Trials Symposium 2026 on July 30, bringing together leading minds from Singapore and the international clinical research community to chart the next chapter of clinical trials. The Symposium, which also marks the 30th anniversary of SCRI, highlighted Singapore's commitment to advancing clinical research through international collaboration, technological innovation, and greater public participation.
As part of the Symposium, SCRI and its parent company, the Consortium of Clinical Research and Innovation (search) (CRIS), signed three Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with eight key public and private sector partners, strengthening Singapore's standing as a leading destination for clinical trials.
Strategic Partnerships to Accelerate Innovation
The first MOU was signed between CRIS and Nanyang Technological University Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (NTU LKCMedicine) for Patient and Public Involvement Engagement (PPIE). CRIS and the Office of Patient Engagement (OPEN) at NTU LKCMedicine have partnered to co-develop Singapore's first National Guidance Document for Patient and Public Involvement in Health Research.
The second MOU, signed between AstraZeneca, CRIS, NHG Health, National University Health System (NUHS), and SingHealth, aims to bring early and late phase innovative trials to Singapore. Under this partnership, AstraZeneca plans to deliver trials spanning antibody-drug conjugates, cell and gene therapies, radioconjugates, bispecific antibodies, and more over a five-year period.
The third MOU involves Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG), the Economic Development Board (EDB), SCRI, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA), NHG Health, NUHS, and SingHealth, focused on Catalysing Clinical Trials Excellence through a national partnership to advance Singapore's clinical trials ecosystem.
Asia's Emerging Role as a Clinical Trial Epicenter
Wee Joo Chng, Group Chief Scientist at National University Health System and Executive Director of the Singapore Translational Cancer Consortium (search) (STCC), articulated a bold vision for the region. "I passionately believe that Asia can be an epicenter for clinical trials at least for some diseases," Chng stated. "We have the patients, we have greater unmet medical needs, the region also now have top class science and innovation in biomedicine and AI and other domains, we have high quality infrastructure and people."
Chng emphasized that strategic growth of key opinion leaders, building end-to-end capabilities, and cohesive collaboration through trial networks and consortiums can "slowly shift the narratives and needle." He pointed to the Asian Myeloma Network and the work of STCC as clear examples demonstrating that attracting more trials to Asia through trial networks centered in the region is achievable.
The STCC's national end-to-end platform integrates not only trial capability but also data and tissue platforms and biomarker discovery capability, which Chng described as a potential "game changer."
Regulatory Innovation as the Next Frontier
Looking ahead, Chng identified a critical next step: "parallel evolution of regulatory frameworks, embracing of new trial endpoints, new study designs (eg synthetic data, digital twins as standard of care controls) and incorporation of AI." He posed the question: "Are we ready to take a lead in these regulatory innovations?"
Chng acknowledged the magnitude of the challenge but expressed optimism: "No doubt, it will be a big challenge but I remain very optimistic that by all the relevant stakeholders working together, we will get there."
Operational Excellence and Ecosystem Partnerships
David SP Tan, Group Director of Partnerships and Innovation at NUHS, Platform Lead of STCC Business Intelligence and Development Platform, and Founding Chair of the Asia Pacific Gynaecologic Oncology Trials (APGOT) Group, moderated a session on Operational Excellence and Ecosystem Partnerships. Discussions emphasized the importance of strategic partnerships and stakeholder alignment to improve trial efficiency and delivery of high-quality clinical research, extending beyond infrastructure and workflows.
The Symposium's theme resonated across multiple sessions featuring STCC leadership, where they shared insights on fostering clinical trial networks to enhance trial efficiency and strengthen Asia's position as a leading destination for clinical research. The strategy, as articulated by STCC, lies in "developing robust, connected ecosystem partnerships that harness the region's collective capabilities and infrastructure to position Asia at the forefront of global clinical research."