Column Ec onomic s
The Rebirth of Clinical Research in Latin America If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants: this is what has allowed me to see the rebirth of clinical research in Latin America. by Federico Lerner, MD, PhD In order to tell the story correctly, we must travel back in time to the late 1980s and early 90s, when clinical research began in the region. At the time, a limited number of researchers sporadically carried out work for colleagues abroad. This activity was unregulated, and continued as such until it began to grow. Some Latin American countries started to introduce regulations, and several companies (mostly CROs) also entered the region. Physicians began to invest in their sites, creating specific areas for clinical research. Sponsors began including Latin American countries in their development plans, allowing for the first big boom. This first boom reached its peak in the early 2000´s and continued through the decade, with clinical research growing at a fast pace throughout the region and undergoing significant development. Thousands of clinical trials were conducted, researchers chose to specialize in clinical research, and new, dedicated in-
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