Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: Analyzing the international drug pipeline is a horizon-scanning exercise to identify trends in current development. The goal is to provide intelligence on the future pharmaceutical landscape to aid the optimal adoption of novel medicines.
METHODS: The primary source for this study is GlobalData’s Healthcare database, which contains information on medicines in the development pipeline. The snapshot of the global pipeline current to 2024 is obtained by filtering for medicinal ingredients with a highest development stage of Phase I, II, and III clinical trials, or pre-registration. Therapeutic area, indication, and orphan drug designation for each medicine are also extracted for analysis and comparison with past extracts dating back to 2019.
RESULTS: There were 12,203 new medicines at different stages of development in the global development pipeline in 2024, more than double the number observed in 2019 (5,584). The pre-registration development stage showed the most growth, increasing 244% from 68 to 234 over the same period. Oncology medicines constitute a plurality of each phase of the 2024 development pipeline, accounting for 33% of the total pipeline, followed by infectious disease medicines at 13%. Orphan designated medicines represent 22% of the pre-registration stage of the pipeline, pointing to a focus on bringing new therapies for rare diseases to market.
CONCLUSIONS: The rapid growth in the international drug research pipeline observed since 2019 has continued in 2024, with a higher number of medicines in later development stages. This research provides a timely overview of general trends in international drug development and highlights therapeutic areas, such as oncology, which will likely be affected by the launch of novel treatments.