The need for multicentre cardiovascular clinical trials in Asia

Historically, the USA and European countries have been the dominant figures in medical research. However, in the past 10 years, Asia has emerged as a new 'hot spot' for clinical research owing to the tremendous potential generated by steady economic growth, remarkable advances in research and development capacity, and an expanding population. However, investigators involved with the set-up and conduct of multicentre trials in such a vast and heterogeneous continent face huge challenges-bridging the fundamental differences between the Asian countries, such as languages, resources, regulatory procedural timelines, and the general understanding of clinical research. In this Perspectives article, we explain why Asia should be established as a hub for large multicentre trials, discuss the challenges involved, and highlight the importance of a strong collaborative infrastructure for multiple investigational sites in this culturally diverse continent.