New Medical Research Act to bring Germany back to the top of clinical research

Federal Minister of Health Prof. Karl Lauterbach announced the new Medical Research Act That is to be decided in the Bundestag this week. The aim is to make Germany competitive in the area clinical trials .

“Germany is losing touch with clinical trials,” warned the minister, who was connected via video. The gap between innovative basic research and drug development has become too wide, meaning that countries such as Spain or Belgium are overtaking Germany in carrying out clinical trials.

The new law provides that, under the auspices of the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM), clinical studies can be carried out “quickly, thoroughly and also more cheaply than before.” Lauterbach describes the law as a “milestone” for research in Germany and Europe that will set “new standards.”

Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Jens Scholz, scientific director of the Advanced Medicine Forum, welcomes the law. He sees this as an opportunity for “Germany to be at the forefront again” in medical research. Scholz emphasized that the previous deficiencies had become apparent, particularly during the corona pandemic, as other countries were able to collect epidemiological data very quickly, which was not possible in Germany due to data protection reasons.

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We hope that this reduction in bureaucracy will benefit our patients!