Summary: Survival analysis with genesis in biometry and reliability analysis evolved with statistical modeling and analysis of life time data and survival distributions. During the past three decades, the advent of clinical trials has expanded its domain to clinical epidemiology, biomedical sciences, and public health disciplines, encompassing a variety of regression and noncompliance models. In this evolutionary process, parametrics gave way to more robust nonparametrics and semiparametrics where counting processes have stolen the methodologic limelights. The past few years have witnessed a phenomenal growth of research in genomic sciences. From drug research and developmental perspectives, in pharmacogenomics there is a genuine need to incorporate survival analysis (albeit in a somewhat different form) in genomic clinical trials (involving biomarkers). The present study aims to provide a general appraisal of survival analysis with due emphasis on clinical trials as well as pharmacogenomics.