Philippines eyes Asia clinical research hub status

The Philippines is positioning itself as a regional center for clinical research and life sciences investments as the government expands its partnership with pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said the partnership will focus on increasing the country’s participation in global clinical trials, developing health innovation projects and creating a stronger investment ecosystem for the life sciences sector.

The initiative was highlighted during DTI Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque’s visit to AstraZeneca’s Discovery Centre in Cambridge, United Kingdom, where she met with company executives and discussed proposed health innovation projects for the Philippines.

AstraZeneca has supported more than 28 ongoing and planned clinical trials involving over 1,000 Filipino patients enrolled since 2022 through more than 150 trial sites nationwide. The company has invested more than P3 billion in Philippine clinical trials over the past six years and plans to expand investments in areas including medical education, diagnostics, digital health and patient-focused innovation.

“Expanding clinical trials and research is not just about medicines. It is about creating high-value jobs for our doctors, nurses, researchers, and health professionals, so more Filipinos can build globally competitive careers here at home,” Roque said.

The government and AstraZeneca are also developing a broader health innovation network. A proposed Multi-Stakeholder Health Innovation Hub within the PEZA ecozone network includes an Oncology Innovation Center that will use artificial intelligence for early lung cancer detection and strengthen patient support and healthcare workforce capabilities.

AstraZeneca is working with De La Salle University, the Department of Science and Technology and PEZA to establish a Clinical Trial Centre of Excellence in Manila within 2026. The center is planned as the first of three pillars, alongside a Cancer Command Centre and a Cardio-Renal-Metabolic Centre.

To accelerate these projects, the DTI plans to work with AstraZeneca, PEZA, DOST, DLSU and the Department of Health on streamlining regulatory approvals and exploring a one-stop-shop system.

“The Philippines has the talent, digital capabilities, and healthcare expertise to become a regional centre for clinical research and health innovation. Through strong partnerships among government, academe, and industry, we are laying the foundation for a globally competitive life sciences ecosystem that creates quality jobs and improves healthcare access for Filipinos,” Roque said.

“Just as we built the IT-BPM industry from call centers into a globally competitive knowledge-services sector, we see clinical research and health information management as the Philippines’ next growth industry. AstraZeneca’s Discovery Centre model is exactly the kind of investment we want to attract,” she added.