Blogs

Investigator sites in emerging markets have a different set of challenges from those in developed regions. They cater to significantly larger patient populations, and are often not as well organized for clinical trial conduct.

With all the focus on various data capture solutions in the clinical trials world over the past decade(s), few people seem to have noticed the exponential advances made in the real workhorse systems of the trials: RTSM. Also known as IVR, IWR and IRT, these systems actually execute randomization, blinded supply and resupply management to depots and sites, and most importantly of all, drug dispensing. Is there anything more important to get right?

An article recently appeared in Applied Clinical Trials, which indicated that oncology trials are taking longer to complete, and the article suggested that the duration of oncology clinical trials in certain phases increased by one year to one and a half years.1 Moreover, the article delineates that ameliorations in trial duration were most likely a result of increasing protocol complexi

One of the worrisome aspects of the U.S. Open Payments transparency program is that it may discourage doctors from serving as investigators in clinical studies. The two-year-old program requires public disclosure of payments by drug and medical device manufacturers to health care professionals (HCPs) and teaching hospitals for conducting clinical trials, as well as for marketing and consulting activities. But an anomaly in the program credits to the principal investigator (PI) heading up a research site the full payment for managing and carrying out the study at that site.

 Changes in biopharmaceutical R&D strategies and Technological innovations in clinical research are challenging payers on evaluating novel therapeutics and their involvement in the R&D process.  While at the 2015 New York BIO annual convention, I had the opportunity to interview Nathan Tinker, Executive Director at the New York Biotechnology Association about how these changes are impacting payers.