Germany lags behind in research

"Clinical trials are an important component of good medicine," emphasized Dr. Nico Andre, hematologist and oncologist and head of the Oncology Division at AstraZeneca, at a press conference. However, fewer and fewer clinical trials are being conducted in this country – in the international rankings, Germany is now only ranked seventh, added Dr. Simone Kappels, Study Center Manager for Oncology at AstraZeneca.

The KliFo (Clinical Research) Barometer, a survey of 258 physicians with and without experience in conducting clinical trials, conducted on behalf of AstraZeneca, was designed to capture the mood of the German medical profession regarding clinical research. According to the survey, 98% of respondents consider clinical trials essential to improving patient care, and 94% of those without clinical trial experience would generally be interested in conducting a trial. However, 54% of them felt inadequately informed about the opportunity to participate in trials.

The biggest hurdle is bureaucracy

Respondents with trial experience saw the biggest hurdles to more clinical trials in Germany as bureaucratic effort (78%), time-consuming data collection and management (70%), and limited personnel capacities (63%).

Prof. Volkmar Müller of the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf also believes that policymakers are called upon to make Germany a more attractive study location. He also believes that the individual federal states and study centers need to communicate better with each other so that patients can be matched more quickly to a study that suits them.

For him, the establishment of the Medical Research Act is an important first step in the right direction.

Nico Andre made a similar argument: "What we need is a radical simplification of access to clinical research, access to artificial intelligence, and a streamlining of contracts and forms." (lö)