Clinical Trials Insight F
rom infusion pumps to centrifuges, from refrigerators to thermometers, from pipettes to pulse oximeters, from blankets to bandages, the list of ancillary supplies required to make a clinical trial work can be bewildering. Over time, the list of items potentially needed at each site only gets longer, and with global trials with high numbers of participants, and a host of vendor relationships to manage, the complexity can be a real barrier to the successful investigation of a new therapy. In a recent study, market analysts at 360iResearch estimate that the clinical trial equipment and ancillary solutions market is growing fast. From $4.58bn in 2024, it is expected to reach $7.62bn by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.84%. This is partly due to the growing number of novel medicines and devices being investigated.
The proliferation of trials – as of 12 September 2025, there were 422,396 interventional clinical trials registered on
ClinicalTrials.gov – and their growing sophistication mean that the complex web of relationships and supply chains is under greater strain than ever. Furthermore, sponsors and their suppliers must deal with a growing regulatory burden, as authorities around the world ramp up their focus on both patient safety and data security. As regulators demand higher standards of proof for certifying new treatments and devices, as innovative technologies become part of the clinical trial process, and as the list of potential supplies changes – not to mention the need to vary specific items of equipment to suit local regulatory requirements – the burden that often falls on the shoulders of people responsible for clinical supplies gets heavier and heavier. In such a situation, ancillaries may easily fall to the bottom of the list of priorities, but they are crucial to the successful execution of any clinical trials. So many things fall under the heading of ancillaries that it almost serves little purpose in defining trial equipment requirements. It covers medical devices such as pumps and sensors, diagnostic tools for patient assessment and disease monitoring, bulky equipment like fridges and freezers, and an almost endless list of clinical supplies from gloves to glass vials.
Coordination and provision of all the necessary supplies, as well as investigational drugs and comparators, is a huge and daunting task. Any error could invalidate a test site, compromise patient safety, ruin the all-important data collection process, and burn valuable resources, not least time and money.
The short straw
Clinical trials are multifaceted and dynamic endeavours, relying on an intricate array of
www.worldpharmaceuticals.net
components that must work together seamlessly. In-depth planning is essential to understand the needs of a trial and to identify all the equipment that is required at each site. That planning process is by no means simple, but it is the easy part of the process compared with sourcing all the items that end up on that list.
Clinical supplies teams are responsible for overseeing the entire process of supplying materials for clinical trials. Their role involves everything from planning and procurement to packaging, labelling and distributing investigational products, and all other trial-related materials. They are charged with the job of ensuring that the right supplies are available at the right place and time for patients participating in clinical trials. Furthermore, they are responsible for ensuring that all equipment adheres to strict regulatory and quality standards.
In a global trial, different regions present significant variation in the regulatory regimes, and some equipment deemed essential for a trial may not be available in the same form in each jurisdiction. For example, some devices may not have been cleared by regulatory authorities in Asia, though they are approved for use in the US. Trial supplies teams need to make sure that equivalents are available, and that any differences in equipment does not have a material impact on trial protocols and results.
Choosing the right equipment and supplies, therefore, is not as straightforward as it may seem. Using an infusion pump, for example, that has not been tested for compatibility with a specific drug, or that is not cleared for use in a specific jurisdiction, could cause insurmountable problems. Similarly, specifying refrigerators or cooling bags that cannot maintain tight temperature ranges could nullify any results.
Clinical supplies teams oversee the entire process of supplying materials for clinical trials – everything from planning and procurement to packaging, labelling and distributing.
$7.62bn
The clinical trial equipment and ancillary solutions market is expected to reach this figure by 2030. 360iResearch
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