Clinical drug trials in Hungary are in decline

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 09. 23. 10:54

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Few and fewer clinical drug trials are taking place in Hungary, even though the sector was previously considered one of the international leaders – writes Economx. Our country is still among the ten most important locations in the world, but the trend is worrying: the decrease in the number of trials could mean a significant disadvantage not only from an economic but also from a patient care perspective.

The segment contributes nearly 100 billion forints to the economy annually, but at the same time the social benefit could be even greater. Katalin Szalóki, director of the Association of Innovative Pharmaceutical Manufacturers (AIPM), emphasized in a background discussion:

“Clinical trials are the most important thing for patients, as they gain access to medicines and therapies that would otherwise only be available years later.”

According to AIPM data, between 2015 and 2023, more than 90,000 Hungarian patients participated in clinical trials. While 14,000 patients were still able to participate in 2020, there will be barely five thousand in 2023. This decline could be detrimental to Hungarian healthcare and patients in the long term, as fewer new therapies will become available in a timely manner.