To mark International Clinical Trials Day, Farmaindustria and 18 member companies are launching an open and collaborative initiative supported by the Ministry of Health, the Aemps, the ISCIII, the Catalan Department of Health and more than thirty organisations from the research ecosystem
The project kicks off with a promotional video, interviews with key figures involved in clinical trials in Spain, and a website that will provide useful information for the general public
Against a backdrop of fierce international competition and a complex geopolitical context, our country must implement measures to boost competitiveness and attract clinical trials for the benefit of the entire system
“We are at a critical juncture: either we commit to biopharmaceutical innovation as a sectoral model that strengthens health and economic security, or we miss the boat on innovation and allow this enormous opportunity to be seized by other regions that are already ahead of us, such as the US or China,” emphasises Juan Yermo, Director General of Farmaindustria
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Farmaindustria.es
To mark International Clinical Trials Day, which is celebrated every 20 May, Farmaindustria and 18 member companies, with the support of more than 35 organisations from the research ecosystem, present +ensayos, an information and awareness-raising platform created with the aim of bringing clinical research closer to society, highlighting the role of the people who make it possible and emphasising the impact it has on the countries where it is carried out.
Far from being a one-off campaign, +ensayos is an open, evolving space designed to highlight the joint work carried out by patients, researchers, healthcare professionals, research centres, ethics committees, public administrations and pharmaceutical companies to promote clinical trials in Spain.
Spain is now one of the world leaders in clinical research and ranks first in Europe in terms of the number of trials, thanks to the strength of its healthcare system, the high calibre of its professionals, a regulatory framework that guarantees the safety and rights of participants, a pharmaceutical industry committed to our country, and the solidarity of patients. Around 170,000 people are currently taking part in one of the clinical trials being conducted in Spain. However, for a significant proportion of the public, clinical trials remain a largely invisible reality, about which there is still a lack of awareness, despite their direct impact on people’s health and on the quality and sustainability of the healthcare system.
To help change this perception, +ensayos presents a short film that looks at clinical trials through the eyes of patients, underpinned by a message of confidence in the future of clinical research. In this piece, a man in his late 60s is celebrating his 12th birthday; he hasn’t got it wrong – he is commemorating the date he joined a clinical trial, which enabled him to carry on with his life.
+ensayos shines a spotlight on the real-life stories of those taking part in clinical research. The launch campaign features testimonials from patients and researchers who share, in their own words, what it means to take part in a clinical trial and how this experience impacts their lives, their professional practice and the advancement of science. As Esther Martín, a multiple sclerosis patient, explains, “when they told me I could join a clinical trial, it was like getting a burst of energy because they’re giving you an opportunity that could change your life”.
“Research is opening doors to a better world where treatments will be more effective and will enable a better quality of life, because side effects are being reduced. I see the future, with more research, more effective treatments and fewer adverse effects,” says Ana Casas, an oncologist and researcher who is also a breast cancer patient.
Through this audiovisual content and the website masensayos.com, which will bring together this and other useful information for users, the platform aims to keep the conversation about clinical trials alive beyond 20 May, helping them to take their rightful place as a driving force for innovation, early access to new treatments and improved quality of life for some patients.
With the support of more than 30 organisations, led by the Ministry of Health
+ensayos has been launched as a platform open to organisations and bodies that share a commitment to clinical research and the need to strengthen its social recognition. The initiative already has the support of the Ministry of Health, the Carlos III Health Institute, the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (Aemps), the State Research Agency, the Centre for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI) and the Department of Health of the Government of Catalonia, as well as the collaboration of more than thirty organisations, including patient organisations, scientific societies, professional councils, and research networks and groups, which are:
- Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC)
- Spanish Association for Cancer Research (Aseica)
- General Council of Pharmaceutical Associations
- General Council of Official Medical Associations
- General Council of Nursing
- Eupati Spain
- Federation of Spanish Scientific and Medical Associations (Facme)
- Spanish Federation for Rare Diseases (Feder)
- Spanish Patients’ Forum (FEP)
- IDIS Foundation
- Más que Ideas Foundation
- Digestive Tumour Treatment Group (TTD)
- Spanish Lung Cancer Group (GECP)
- Spanish Breast Cancer Research Group (Geicam)
- Spanish Cancer Patients Group (Gepac)
- Solti Group
- KIDS Barcelona
- KIDS Madrid
- Platform of Patient Organisations (POP)
- Network of Clinical Research Management Entities (Regic)
- Spanish Network of Paediatric Clinical Trials (Reclip)
- Spanish Society of Healthcare Executives (Sedisa)
- Spanish Society of Hospital Pharmacy (SEFH)
- Spanish Society of Haematology and Haemotherapy (SEHH)
- Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine (Semfyc)
- Spanish Society of Internal Medicine (SEMI)
- Spanish Society of Primary Care Physicians (Semergen)
- Spanish Society of General Practitioners and Family Doctors (SEMG)
- Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM)
- Spanish Clinical Research Network (Scren)
“This initiative has been designed to continue growing and incorporating new voices and perspectives. There can be no progress in research without public-private collaboration,” emphasises Amelia Martín Uranga, Director of Clinical and Translational Research at Farmaindustria, who adds that it is not just a matter of promoting more trials, but also of continuing to foster clinical research that is “increasingly rigorous, ethical and close to society, but also facing greater scientific, technological and regulatory challenges”.
To this end, Farmaindustria, in collaboration with other stakeholders in the research ecosystem, is developing various initiatives, such as promoting clinical research in primary care, encouraging networked trials, fostering diversity, and utilising data alongside the application of technology and artificial intelligence. “Because we are firmly committed to reaching more regions and more centres, to provide more opportunities for patients who meet the trial inclusion criteria,” explains Martín Uranga.
In the same vein, Juan Yermo, Director General of Farmaindustria, stresses that, for Spain to maintain its leading position in clinical research, “we need a robust regulatory framework that simplifies certain processes, reduces bureaucracy and streamlines the management of clinical trials both in Spain and across Europe, in order to boost competitiveness and continue to strengthen the innovation ecosystem promoted by the industry. Otherwise, Spain could miss the boat on innovation, and this huge opportunity could be seized by other regions that are already ahead of us, such as the US or China”.
“At Farmaindustria, we want to continue working with the government, the regulatory agency, the scientific community, patients and society as a whole to give clinical research the place it deserves and define the right strategy so that Spain and its patients can have access to the latest therapeutic advances that can improve their lives and those of their families,” says Yermo.
18 pharmaceutical companies are driving the +ensayos campaign
+ensayos is an initiative coordinated by Farmaindustria, which would not be possible without the support of 18 of its member companies: AbbVie, Almirall, Amgen, Bayer, BeOne, Biogen, BMS, Boehringer Ingelheim, Faes Farma, GSK, J&J, MSD, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi and Servier.
Innovative pharmaceutical companies have increased their investment in R&D in Spain by 40% over the last five years, reaching €1.775 billion in 2025. These figures come from the 2025 R&D Survey in the Pharmaceutical Industry, which includes the forecast for 2025 based on data provided by the companies in the final quarter of the year. The report shows that in 2024, €1.003 billion was spent on clinical trials in Spain, the largest R&D expenditure and 11% higher than the previous year.
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