The first seven months of 2023 saw clinical trial data up 1.43% compared to the same time period last year. From January through July this year, BioWorld reported on 2,064 drugs in phase I-III, compared to 2,035 in the same time period in 2022. The number of trial updates is down 14.07% from the 2,402 in 2021 and down from 2020’s 2,096, but up 18.15% from 2019’s 1,747.

Drug approvals by the U.S. FDA increased 20.48% compared to the first seven months of 2022, even with July approvals slightly down to 13 from the previous six months’ average of 14.5 per month. Worldwide approvals from January to July are down 13.8% from the same period last year.