Clinical Trials in Portugal

In the past, in Portugal (as in some other European Union member states), the approval timelines were somewhat protracted. However with the implementation of the Clinical Trial Directive legislation, which streamlined the submission approval process and running of clinical studies in Portugal, the approval timelines were significantly improved to competitive levels.

There are a high number of universities and central hospitals concentrated in major cities such as Lisbon, Porto, and Coimbra, with experienced staff to participate in the clinical studies. Most investigators from these hospitals have significant experience in conducting clinical trials and also an excellent command of English. Another good advantage is the patient compliance that is consistently good.

Nowadays Portugal is an attractive country to conduct clinical research and there are very important therapeutic areas:

• Cardiology
• Oncology
• Neurology
• Opthalmology