New Jersey Patients Have High Rate of Participation
Historically, enrolling participants in clinical trials is challenging. According to a 2011 Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development (CSDD) report, two-thirds of investigative sites don't meet the enrollment requirements for a given trial. Failing to meet these goals causes delays in clinical trials that impact negatively upon both patients and companies.
That's why New Jersey's participation rate in clinical trials is a positive indication that the State is a good location for trials. New Jersey residents comprise 6.8% of enrollees in clinical trials nationally, while representing only 2.8% of total U.S. population. Surprisingly, this does not translate into more clinical trials in New Jersey. In 2013 (the most recent year available for review) New Jersey had 6,152 clinical trial sites registered with
www.clinicaltrials.gov, or 3.12 percent of the 197,326 trial sites in the U.S. registered on the site.
The range of clinical trial participation shows the strength of our patient population in these trials.
Clinical trials activity is above the national average in four of five therapeutic areas, with significant ranges in several of the categories. Oncology is the leading indication, with 58 percent of New Jersey residents participating in clinical trials involved in an oncology trial versus the national average of 41 percent. We're also higher in participation in trials for infection and inflammatory diseases, with 11 percent participation versus 8.3 percent nationally.
New Jersey again is higher than the national average in trials relating to heart, lung and blood (13 percent as compared to 12 percent nationally) and diabetes, digestive and kidney diseases (6 percent to 5.7 percent).
New Jersey's Economy Benefits from Clinical Trials
Given the impact of life sciences overall, it's not surprising that clinical trial activity is an important contributor to New Jersey's economy. The study found that total annual investments in clinical trials by corporate and NIH sponsors totaled $263.3 million.
Approximately 3,750 jobs are created annually from clinical trial spending. Direct wages total $142 million. For every $1 million invested in clinical trials, 15 jobs are created and $1.37 million is added to New Jersey's GDP.
The estimated $263 million spent on clinical trials in the State results in $516 million in economic output from indirect and induced effects, for $779 million in total output.
New Jersey Must Do More to Attract Clinical Trials
Since clinical trials provide strong benefits to New Jersey residents, both medically and economically, we must do more to attract clinical trials to our State.
This study presents a series of considerations and questions for stakeholders and opinion leaders in New Jersey to consider:
* Given the high per capita patient participation in trials, how can we develop strategies to increase clinical trials in New Jersey?
* An assessment should be made of the types of treatments sought at regional centers beyond our borders. How many amongst the New Jersey patient population are participating in clinical trials at New York and Philadelphia institutions? How can we attract them to New Jersey institutions?
* In light of New Jersey's industry-leading clinical and commercial workforce, are we supporting this knowledge and talent sufficiently to maintain our leading position in life sciences?
* How can stakeholders communicate more effectively the value of clinical trials -- from economics and jobs to therapies, cures and hope -- to offset misunderstanding among the public about these critical activities?
BioNJ, in collaboration with academic institutions, clinical care centers, life sciences companies and other stakeholders in the State, will continue to work with legislative leaders to address these questions. One key goal is to ensure a full understanding of clinical trials activity in order to promote investment and meaningful policies to grow and support this segment of the life sciences industry.
BioNJ commends Senator Jennifer Beck (R-Monmouth), Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-Burlington), and Steven Oroho (R-Morris, Sussex and Warren) for their legislation that would create a working group to identify obstacles to collaborations between the public and private sectors, the higher education and health care communities, and the biopharmaceutical industry in attempting to undertake such collaborations; recommending ways in which the State, and its public and private institutions, higher education and health care facilities, can be encouraged to collaborate in such endeavors; and ways to eliminate such obstacles and facilitate such endeavors.
BioNJ also recognizes Assemblymen Gary Schaer (D-Bergen, Passaic), Tim Eustace (D-Bergen, Passaic) and Daniel Benson (D-Mercer, Middlesex) for sponsoring companion legislation in the Assembly.
