In silico clinical trials or virtual clinical trials are a form of biomedical and health-related research that uses computer simulation to predict potential outcomes of real-world clinical trials and medical experiments without involving any human subjects. In silico clinical trials enable researchers to model clinical trial data and virtually conduct clinical tests to evaluate potential risks and benefits before enrolling human volunteers. The technology uses computer models and complex mathematical modeling to mimic and study biological processes, disease progression and potential treatment responses. Some key areas where in silico clinical trials are actively applied include oncology, CNS disorders, cardiovascular disease, and antiviral drug development.

The global in silico clinical trials market is estimated to be valued at US$ 293 million in 2023 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 5.9% over the forecast period 2023-2030, as highlighted in a new report published by Coherent Market Insights.

Market Dynamics:

Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technologies are driving the growth of the in silico clinical trials market. AI and machine learning algorithms can analyze huge volumes of clinical, biological and chemical data to develop predictive models for drug responses in virtual patients. This reduces costs and timelines associated with clinical drug development while lowering safety risks for human subjects. Additionally, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has fueled demand for in silico clinical trials as a contactless method for drug testing. Regulatory agencies like FDA and EMA have also shown positive outlook on substituting animal studies with well-validated virtual trials. Growing research collaborations between technology providers, CROs, pharmaceutical players and regulatory bodies are further expanding applications of in silico approaches.

Segment Analysis

The global In Silico clinical trials market is dominated by the PhysioLab, OncoLauncher and PhysioBank sub-segments. PhysioLab accounts for around 35% of the market share as it provides advanced virtual patient modeling tools that helps researchers build complex physiological models of organs and study disease progression. It also allows testing of new drugs in virtual patients without legal and ethical concerns of clinical trials on humans.

PEST Analysis

Political: Governments across countries are promoting the use of In Silico clinical trials by providing funding to research institutes and startups working in this area. This is helping speed up drug discovery and development process.

Economic: The cost savings from In Silico clinical trials is a major driver for its growth. On an average, In Silico trials are estimated to reduce R&D costs by 30-40% compared to physical clinical trials. This is encouraging more pharma companies to adopt this technique.

Social: In Silico clinical trials help address some of the concerns around physical clinical trials such as safety of human participants. By virtually testing drugs on simulated patients, it decreases health risks for human volunteers. This increases social acceptability of the In Silico approach.

Technological: Advancements in computational power, artificial intelligence and simulation modeling techniques have enabled building highly complex and realistic digital replicas of human physiology. This has significantly enhanced the predictive capability of In Silico platforms.

Key Takeaways

The global In Silico Clinical Trials Market Growth is expected to witness high growth over the forecast period supported by the increasing R&D investments by pharmaceutical companies and growing awareness about benefits of the technique.

Regional analysis:

The North America region accounts for over 40% of the global In Silico clinical trials market share led by the US and Canada. This is due to strong government funding for research in virtual clinical trials, presence of leading technology companies and availability of skilled workforce. The Asia Pacific region is expected to witness fastest growth during the forecast period led by countries like China, India and South Korea where pharma companies are increasingly adopting In Silico trials to reduce costs and speed up drug development process.

Key players operating in the In Silico clinical trials market are Certara, Dassault Systems, Entelos, Physiomics, Rosa & Co., Schrödinger, EQT, Shanghai Medicine Evaluation Center, Novadigm and Genedata. These companies offer advanced simulation platforms, virtual patient populations, data analytics services and drug discovery support modules to sponsors for conducting preclinical and clinical assessments virtually.

*Note:
1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it