Australia looks beyond healthy volunteers to defend Phase I edge: Back to School 2026

Australia offers unmatched speed and low costs for healthy volunteer studies, but maintaining its status as a premier Phase I trial destination is about to get harder. As other regions roll out reforms aimed at spurring first-in-human research, Australian regulators and CROs are looking to streamline the country’s trial infrastructure and broaden its role in early clinical development.

For decades, the Australian biotech industry has been promoting the region’s benefits for early-stage research. As biopharmas have taken an increasingly global perspective on clinical trial strategy, Australia’s reputation as a go-to region for Phase I testing has solidified...