War zone or not, Ukraine seeks to reclaim its role as a hub for clinical trials

In the years leading up to Russia’s invasion, Ukraine had become a burgeoning hub of clinical trials, particularly in oncology. The war put a hold on the vast majority of those studies.

But as the country marks two years this week since the invasion — and as the war has dragged on without a clear end in sight — Ukrainian researchers and executives are increasingly urging companies to restart clinical trials, insisting that the advantages that lured drugmakers in the first place still make the country a desirable one in which to run studies.

They acknowledge the obvious — that the ongoing war is not exactly a selling point. After all, trial sponsors worry about the fighting interrupting a study and losing precious patient data. Some companies also have policies that restrict running trials in countries with war zones.

But Ukrainian investigators argue that much of the country, away from the battlefield, has adapted to the new reality, with economic activity and daily life long resumed — though, they admit, with the occasional air raid siren.

They also stress they’ve...