Clinical Insights 1 min read

China & Japan oncology trials: Unlock dual global engines, accelerating global clinical development

Luke Gill, Head of Oncology, and Will Chen, Global Head of Regulatory Affairs, Emerald Clinical presented as a webinar, alongside Dr. Rokuya Nochi of EPS Japan, September 2026.

Most sponsors are comfortable with the idea of running a trial in the US or Europe. The familiar regulatory pathways, long-established site networks, deep KOL relationships and the strategic tradeoffs are well understood. As a result, the decision is considered ‘routine’ and relatively low-risk. Conversely, the decision to bring Asia-Pacific into an oncology development plan is often made too late or made reactively once enrollment in Western sites has already stalled. It is still often treated as an afterthought bolted onto a protocol built for the US and Europe, a situation which adds cost and complexity without delivering the acceleration it is capable of. In the current drug development paradigm, this is an outdated mindset. Getting the APAC decision right helps sponsors compress oncology clinical development timelines by as much as 12-18 months.

The difference between those two outcomes comes down to when, not if, APAC enters the conversation.

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