ICON in Asia
Local knowledge combined with global expertise to ensure quality data on time and within budget
As a leading CRO with a presence in Asia Pacific since 1995, local know-how is our speciality
We understand the unique challenges of conducting clinical research in the Asia Pacific region and use our country-specific knowledge to ensure we deliver quality data to our clients on time and within budget.
We operate in 13 countries and have the capability and expertise to conduct clinical trials and development projects on both a local, cross-regional and global basis and provide the full range of ICON Services.
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9,452
Employees -
13
Countries -
1995
Year established in Asia Pacific
At ICON, we use our insight and innovation to drive measurable performance improvements. Our operational capability and therapeutic expertise enable us to deliver value and operational excellence in drug development projects, which translates into constantly exceeding client expectations.
Why Asia Pacific?
A number of factors contribute to Asia Pacific being an excellent location for clinical trials:
- Regulatory bodies are actively encouraging Multi Regional Clinical Trials
- Patient access - Two-thirds of the world’s population live in the region
- Relatively less competition for patients with fewer clinical trials enrolling compared to US & EU
- High prevalence of certain diseases - diabetes, hepatitis B, cardiovascular, chronic lower respiratory disease, influenza and pneumonia
- Strong presence of academic institutions and high-quality investigators
- ICH-GCP guidelines have been adopted for more than 10 years
- Quality is constantly improving and standards are comparable to western standards
- Significant progress has been made by some key territories to enforce IPP and implement patent laws
- Costs are relatively lower in some countries compared to US and EU
2025 China biotech sector survey
China’s biotech sector has grown rapidly, powered by decades of centralised planning and strong partnerships. As part of ICON’s latest research, we surveyed 100 biotech leaders based in China, to understand the major priorities and challenges facing them.
Case studies
Learn how we support sponsors in the Asia Pacific region accelerate time to market, reduce costs and increase quality across a range of therapeutic indications.
Asia Pacific Biopharma Excellence Awards
ICON wins Best CRO in APAC award at the 2025 Asia Pacific Biopharma Excellence Awards.
Procedural and regulatory know-how for China biotechs in the EU
How to navigate EU MAA regulations and EMA MAA registration
Clinical trials in Japan: An enterprise growth and management strategy
Considerations to develop agile and flexible clinical trial capabilities in Japan
Spotlight on regulatory reforms in China
Although China’s regulatory reforms have attracted many foreign companies to conduct trials in China, there are still challenges
APAC focused media articles
China biotech continues its growth trajectory
Yao Zhong, vice president general manager for ICON China Mainland and Hong Kong, discusses latest survey results on the Chinese biotech market.
2025 in Review: Global biotech and funding trends
In this interview, Deepali Suri, President of ICON Biotech, breaks down the key trends shaping today’s biotech industry and their global impact. Using insights from ICON’s global and China biotech surveys, capturing input from more than 260 biotech leaders worldwide, Suri highlights emerging therapeutic innovations, the growing influence of AI in R&D, and how geopolitical tensions are redefining international drug development strategies.
Submitting clinical data to the FDA and PDMA: An efficient and compliant approach
In this article, our data standards experts explain how sponsors can efficiently prepare clinical data submissions that meet both FDA and PMDA requirements by leveraging the substantial alignment between the two agencies’ standards.
Enabling Innovation: How China-based biotechs are shaping global drug development
Yao Zhong, ICON China Mainland and Hong Kong, is sharing some of the findings from the 2025 China biotech sector survey report. Read more on how a strategic partnership fuels global ambition.
Research paints China as ‘global innovation powerhouse’
ICON’s global biotech sector survey, capturing insights from more than 260 biotech professionals and venture capital executives, found that China is cementing its dominance in the sector and Western biotechs must adapt to maintain competitiveness.
China becoming dominant force in biotech sector, survey says
Chinese biotech dominance and opportunities for Western companies to stay competitive have been highlighted in surveys released by clinical research organization ICON.
CRO reforms: Tilting scale towards accelerated growth and transparency
The article, featuring commentary from Nagalakshmi Shetty, highlights how India's clinical research sector is rapidly expanding. Regulatory reforms like the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation's NDCR (Amendment) Rules 2024, mandatory CRO registration and digitised portals are boosting transparency, shortening approval timelines and positioning India as a global hub for clinical trials.
ICON partners with global healthcare leaders to procure renewable power in China
Aligned with ICON's sustainability strategy, this collaboration of 12 companies will unlock approximately 225 GWh of renewable electricity annually for the research, development and manufacture of medicines.
Biosimilars in Asia: A strategic approach to regulatory requirements
With the impending patent cliff, the opportunities for companies to create biosimilars is expanding. Read our article in Scrip Asia 100 2025 to learn about the regulatory environment, requirements and challenges in an Asian context.
What’s APAC’s recipe of success in clinical trials market?
Suhail Ali, contributes to this article on the thriving clinical research landscape in the APAC region and the trends driving its growth
Interview with Dr. Steve Cutler, CEO, ICON
In this interview with the Business Post, Steve Cutler discusses ICON’s overall business growth in Asia and the opportunity for growth in South Korea.
Economic evaluation of nivolumab combined with ipilimumab in the first-line treatment of advanced melanoma in Japan
This published study conducted by ICON's Health Economics team and Bristol-Myers Squibb evaluates a cost-effective new treatment for melanoma patients in Japan.
APAC focused blogs
Driving biosimilar adoption in APAC
To succeed in APAC, biosimilar sponsors must build patient and provider trust. This blog explores adoption barriers and strategies for outreach and education to boost biosimilar uptake.
Navigating post-market access and adoption of biosimilars across APAC
Post-market success of biosimilars depends on public health needs, reimbursement, and safety monitoring. Sponsors must navigate diverse regulatory and market landscapes. This analysis explores key post-market strategies in major APAC countries, including China, Japan, India, Singapore, and South Korea.
Insights from the 2025 ISCR Conference
The 18th annual ISCR conference focused on integrating innovation and technology for patient-centric clinical research. In this blog, our experts share insights on topics of special interest in the areas of Clinical Data Science and Biostatistics and Programming.
Making sense of the regulatory web governing biosimilars development across APAC
In recent years the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region has represented an area of growth in the biopharmaceutical sector, with expanding drug production and development — including in the area of biosimilars.
Understanding China's 2024 NRDL: Key changes and their impact
This blog provides an overview of the NRDL’s history, highlights the key changes for 2024, and discusses the potential impact on both local and international pharmaceutical industries.
How joint venture models can boost Japan’s pharmaceutical industry
Japan is the third-largest consumer of ethical drugs and the world’s third-largest economy; therefore, it is an important development centre for new medicines. However, there are various cultural and economic challenges in Japan that make it difficult to manage a fixed workforce against a variable portfolio of clinical research.