Emilia-Romagna records 1,530 clinical studies in 2025

The Emilia‑Romagna regional health network reported a record 1,530 clinical studies conducted in 2025, the highest annual total since 2020. The increase follows a reorganisation of ethical committees and the introduction of a Clinical Trials Information System, which stabilised activity after a dip in 2023‑24.

Of the 1,530 studies, 65.3% were multicentre, with 83.4% of interventional trials involving multiple sites, and 68.6% linked to international collaboration networks. Oncology accounted for 28.6% of the research portfolio, followed by neurology (7.3%), cardiovascular (6.2%) and musculoskeletal (6.2%) fields. Interventional studies focused on drug testing, with 66.5% of those trials in phases II‑III.

Regional ethics committees issued 1,834 opinions in 2025, 98.3% of which were favourable. "These data make us particularly proud," said regional health president Michele de Pascale, alongside regional health policy assessor Massimo Fabi. The report, compiled by SirER – the regional health research information system – highlights the region’s growing integration into advanced international research networks and its expanding role in precision medicine.