PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia has recorded a historic total of 276 sponsored clinical research, a marked 24 per cent year-on-year increase, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
He said clinical research also has a profound impact on Malaysia’s healthcare, especially through increasing access to innovative research treatments for patients.
“Not only this is its highest annual number, but it also cemented Malaysia’s lead as number two in South-East Asia, narrowing its gap to the top of the leaderboard.
“With over 2,300 sponsored research in the country since 2012, the Gross National Income derived from clinical research contracts has grown year by year, now amounting to a total of RM1.16 billion,” he said in his speech at the launch of Clinical Research Malaysia (CRM) Annual Report 2023, here today.
Meanwhile, Dr Dzulkefly said the pharmaceutical industry is now not only viewing Malaysia as a trial location but also as a regional base for clinical research operations.
The minister said staying steadfast to all these, CRM is committed to driving its key missions through the next decade, all focused on making Malaysia the preferred hub in Asia.
“This includes establishing CRM’s Centre of Excellence just in March 2024. I look forward to seeing graduates being trained and developed towards building their career in clinical research, and becoming professional study coordinators,” he said.
Earlier, Dr Dzulkefly witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between CRM and the Clinical Research Management Office of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) to further consolidate efforts in upskilling researchers, as well as in driving knowledge exchange in clinical research.
