Clinical Trials in the Czech Republic: An Investment in Patients, Medicine, and the Future of Healthcare
The Czech Republic is currently running 486 clinical trials with the involvement of more than 2,300 research teams. In 2025 alone, they opened access to innovative treatment for 17,451 patients, often years before such therapies become widely available. What these numbers mean for patients, for the healthcare system, for the economy, and for the country's international standing was the focus of a recent press conference hosted by the Association of Innovative Pharmaceutical Industry (AIFP).
Clinical trials sit at the heart of modern medicine. For patients whose standard treatment options are no longer sufficient, they can open access to innovative therapies; for medical teams, they bring hands-on experience with the newest treatment approaches. They also deepen the involvement of Czech institutions in international research and generate tangible value for both healthcare and the wider economy.
The AIFP discussion took up exactly these questions: where clinical trials in the Czech Republic stand today, what they deliver for patients, and which conditions will shape the country's future role in international research.
Speaking on behalf of CZECRIN and CREATIC, doc. MUDr. Regina Demlová, Ph.D. focused on how running clinical trials broadens the skills of Czech physicians and on the concrete benefits trials bring to patients. Clinical trials, she noted, are not merely research into new medicines. They are an investment in the future of Czech medicine, in the expertise of its doctors, and above all in better care for patients.
She also underlined what trials mean for the professional growth of clinical and research teams. Taking part gives physicians experience with innovative medicinal products, a place in international expert teams, and a route for carrying new knowledge into everyday clinical practice. The effect reaches beyond any single institution to the overall quality and competitiveness of Czech healthcare.
CZECRIN's Role in Advancing Clinical Research
High-quality, professionally run clinical research in the Czech Republic has a long-standing partner in CZECRIN, the national research infrastructure dedicated to clinical research. It links academia, clinical centres, and expert teams, and helps build the conditions for trials that meet international standards.
Strong infrastructure, professional capacity, efficient organization, and the ability to work across institutions rank among the decisive factors that keep the Czech Republic among Europe's leading clinical research destinations.
Clinical Research in an International Context
Clinical research has become a global field. Decisions about where new studies will be conducted depend increasingly on the speed of approval, the quality of infrastructure, the availability of experts, digitalization, and a predictable environment. The Czech Republic possesses extensive expertise in this area and enjoys a solid international reputation, but its position is by no means guaranteed.
The task ahead is clear: reinforce the professional base of clinical centers, advance digitalization, streamline administrative processes, and secure stable conditions for research and development. At stake is not only investment and expertise but, most of all, how quickly patients in the Czech Republic can reach innovative treatment.
Our thanks go to every speaker and participant for their insights and contributions to the discussion. Alongside doc. MUDr. Regina Demlová, Ph.D., the panel featured Mgr. David Kolář, MHA (AIFP), MUDr. Tomáš Boráň (State Institute for Drug Control), MUDr. Beata Čečetková, Ph.D., a clinical trials specialist and chair of the AIFP clinical trials platform, Mgr. Jana Hlaváčová (Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic), doc. MUDr. Radka Lordick Obermannová, Ph.D. (Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute), and Mgr. Michaela Walsbergerová, who brought the patient perspective into the discussion.
A recording of the event and the speakers' presentations, including the document Ten Steps to Support Clinical Trials in the Czech Republic, are available on the AIFP website:
https://aifp.cz/cs/klinicke-studie-v-cesku-jsou-prinosem-pro-pacienty/
