Europe has long been a powerhouse of cancer science. Yet its share of the world’s oncology trials has fallen from 41% in 2008 to 21% in 2023.
A report from the European Cancer Organisation (ECO): Seizing the Moment: Europe as a Global Leader in Cancer Science and Care has outlined how Europe can strengthen cancer research, development and adoption.
Europe’s share of global oncology clinical trials dropped from 41% in 2008 to 21% in 2023, with trial starts by European companies falling 8% over the same period (Manzano et al., 2025). China, meanwhile, surged from barely 2% in 2009 to nearly 40% by 2023, overtaking both the US (down five points since 2019, to under a third) and Europe (IQVIA Institute, 2025).
The gap widens at a national level too: trials run solely in the EU’s four largest countries plus the UK fell from 7% to just 5% of all global cancer trials between 2015 and 2024, while China-only trials jumped from 7% to 40% in that same window.
As the EU embarks on an ambitious ‘competitiveness agenda’, ECO has outlined steps that should be taken to translate more of the EU’s scientific potential into better outcomes for patients, while reinforcing its position as a global leader in life sciences. These include:
- Puting oncology innovation at the centre of Europe’s competitiveness strategy. An EU Strategy for Cancer Research, Development and Implementation could remove barriers holding back Europe’s full oncology science strength.
- Continuing Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and the EU Cancer Mission. Working together, they can further combine and coordinate Europe’s cancer science.
- Fixing the regulations clinicians, patients and researchers have been complaining about for so long. The report names diverse interpretations of GDPR, areas for improvement with the In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (IVDR), and the Clinical Trials Regulation, as well as lesser-known opportunities such as shaping a Professional Qualifications Directive more friendly to new and emergent scientific specialisms.
- Cutting fragmentation and speeding up adoption. Act vigorously to streamline administrative and regulatory processes- to help new treatments and technologies reach patients across member states much sooner.
“Europe has the science to lead the world in cancer care. What it has lacked is the strategy to match it. Put cancer innovation at the heart of Europe’s competitiveness agenda and turn scientific excellence into better outcomes for cancer patients in every member state,” explained Isabel Rubio, President of the European Cancer Organisation.
In their report, ECO urges the European Commission and EU member states to take these recommendations into consideration as they shape the new European competitiveness agenda.
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Source: www.oncology-central.com
