The decision, which is based on the proposals put forward by the investigator Peter Asplund and which means that a national partnership is established, is welcomed by both Lif and SwedenBIO.

The government’s announcement on 27 June means that the Swedish Medical Products Agency will be tasked with proposing measures to improve conditions and strengthen the capacity for clinical trials in Sweden. This will be done by taking as a starting point the previously published investigation Proposal for measures to create better conditions for clinical trials (Ds 2023:8), where the proposal to establish a national partnership, SweTrial, was presented.

“The fact that we have four ministers who speak in connection with the decision, I see as a clear indication of the importance that the government attaches to the issue. Now we have good conditions to join forces to reverse the negative trend of fewer clinical trials,” says Jessica Martinsson, CEO of SwedenBIO.

“It is a welcome decision and an important first step in strengthening Sweden’s position as a trial country. Lif looks forward to working with all the players in the system to ensure that we soon have a national partnership – a SweTrial – in place,” says Lif’s life science expert Frida Lundmark.

Reverse the trend

The number of company-initiated clinical drug trials is declining in Sweden – a worrying and long-term trend that inhibits medical innovation and the development of new treatments. This affects the life science industry as a whole, which in the long run has negative consequences for society as a whole, as pharmaceutical exports account for just over seven percent of Sweden’s GDP and medical and pharmaceutical products are the third largest export commodity, describes Lif.

To reverse the trend, Lif and other players in the life science system have for several years called for a focused partnership to ensure that the right efforts and investments are made, states Lif. Investments in neighbouring countries have shown that this is a success factor.

“We have proposed a national partnership for clinical trials where regions, companies and academia are given a strong mandate and together join forces to improve Sweden’s capabilities. This will give us the conditions to offer more patients the opportunity to participate in clinical trials, while the global pharmaceutical companies once again see Sweden as an attractive choice for their business,” says Frida Lundmark.

Photo of Jessica Martinsson (SwedenBIO) and Frida Lundmark (Lif)