Hundreds of executives from pharmaceutical, biotech and CRO sectors responded to the invitation to attend the China Trials 2009 Global Clinical Development Summit in Beijing, held in early November. The conference was the country's first major international gathering addressing China's fast-growing clinical development industry.

The comprehensive agenda included presentations from more than 50 leading pharmaceutical and biotech experts with the benefit of English/Chinese translations for each session. Networking opportunities were prevalent as leading clinical research organizations from China and Asia Pacific were at hand for dialog.

Two special tracks met audience's development needs. Emerging and mid-size biotech firms learned step-by-step advantages of performing clinical trials in China while those companies already doing clinical business in China received a more advanced agenda.
Discussions covered:
- Good Clinical Practices and Ethical Issues
- Safety Issues
- Oncology Development
- Cardiovascular Development
- Anti-Infectives Development
- Metabolic Diseases Development
- CNS Drug Development
- Inflammation Development Opportunities
- Vaccine Trials
- Medical Device Trials
- Clinical Data Management
- Statistically Sound Trial Designs
- Pharmacokinetics
- Regulatory
- Biomarkers & Translational Medicine
- Phases I - IV

Sponsors included a spectrum of Clinical Research Organizations (CROs) such as Covance, Oracle Sciences and Health, Bayer Health Care, Quintiles and Paramax International. Speakers included notables from China's drug administration as well as executives from Johnson and Johnson, Astra Zeneca, Wyeth and Excel Pharmastudies.

The conference also offered a site visit to Renji Hospital as an example facility where trials may be conducted.