CRM Strengthens Malaysia's Clinical Trial Ecosystem, AstraZeneca Supports Research Investment

KUALA LUMPUR, May 5 (Bernama) -- Clinical Research Malaysia (CRM) will continue to play a critical role in ensuring Malaysia becomes a leading destination for clinical trials by working closely with regulators, hospitals, academia, and industry partners to improve trial readiness and delivery.

In a statement, CRM noted that since its establishment in 2021, more than 2,800 sponsored trials have been conducted nationwide, supported by a coordinated ecosystem led by the organisation.

“Initiatives focused on investigator training, site capability development, and process optimisation have contributed to stronger research execution and a growing pool of skilled clinical research professionals,” the statement said.

CRM Chief Executive Officer Dr Akhmal Yusof was quoted as saying that building a trusted and high-quality clinical research ecosystem requires long-term investment in people, systems and partnerships, and includes developing the talent needed to support a sustainable and future-ready ecosystem.

He said that CRM’s role extends to building a strong pipeline of clinical research professionals, including study coordinators, investigators and research teams, while strengthening capabilities across hospitals nationwide to ensure more sites are trial-ready and able to deliver studies efficiently.

“Malaysia’s value proposition lies in its ability to deliver clinical trials with speed, reliability and quality, while our role in ASEAN allows us to help drive sponsored clinical research as a regional agenda for shared prosperity,” he said.

According to CRM, Malaysia’s clinical research ecosystem accelerated from 2020 to 2025, recording a five-year Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 25.06 per cent in cumulative gross national income, 7.45 per cent in skilled clinical research jobs, and 11.97 per cent in cumulative sponsored research.

“In 2025, patient access to clinical trials continued to improve, with more than 300 healthcare facilities nationwide now having experience in clinical research,” it said.

CRM noted that Malaysia is emerging as a preferred destination for early-phase clinical trials in Asia Pacific, enabling high-quality, globally relevant research conducted to international standards that support Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) regulatory submissions, including first-in-human studies.

It said this readiness is underpinned by accredited trial sites, a robust regulatory framework, and a genetically diverse patient population, adding that strong infrastructure, government support, and regulatory progress continue to enable the efficient conduct of globally relevant research.

“This momentum was exemplified by Sarawak General Hospital, which reinforced its position as a leading oncology trial centre, successfully conducting two first-in-human studies in 2025,” it said.

Meanwhile, AstraZeneca Malaysia, in the same statement, said that the company reflects CRM’s collaborative approach through sustained investment in local clinical research capabilities.

“Since establishing the Site Management & Monitoring (SMM) operations in 2022, AstraZeneca Malaysia has consistently recorded the highest number of new sponsored research among sponsors for three consecutive years from 2023 to 2025, as reported in the CRM Annual Reports.

“Supported by dedicated teams and a growing network of study sites, AstraZeneca conducts a broad portfolio of clinical research across multiple therapeutic areas, reflecting its continued investment in scaling clinical trial delivery capability in Malaysia,” it said.

AstraZeneca Malaysia’s Country President, Dr Svetlana Yanchuk, said the company is committed to conducting ethical, transparent and patient-centred clinical trials, while expanding its footprint in Malaysia by bringing early-phase studies, including a first-in-human study.

“All our studies are carried out in line with rigorous global scientific and regulatory standards. Through close collaboration with healthcare institutions, researchers and partners, we aim to support responsible clinical trial data sharing, clear communication with trial participants and high-quality research that contributes meaningfully to Malaysia’s clinical research landscape,” she added.

CRM said Malaysia’s efforts to strengthen its clinical research ecosystem are also expanding beyond capacity-building and investment facilitation to include stronger network connectivity.

This is reflected in CRM Trial Connect, an annual international platform introduced in 2022, to showcase the country’s capabilities in sponsored and multinational clinical trials.  

“By facilitating closer engagement between sponsors, research sites, and the broader healthcare community, the platform supports greater visibility of clinical trial opportunities and helps align studies with patient and system needs.

“Together with sustained collaboration across industries, such efforts will be instrumental in accelerating research delivery and translating innovation into timely, meaningful patient access,” it said.

-- BERNAMA