Site-Cost Line Item Charges on the Rise

Clinical grants are growing increasingly sophisticated. Consquently, investigator site startup costs have become increasingly complex as well. Clinical sites are charging for a greater amount of site-cost line items. In addition, sites are charging more for those line items.

TTC's GrantPlan database contains grants from 76% of global clinical trials. GrantPlan tracks all the site-cost line items from clinical grants. The most common site costs are general site startup administrative fees, advertising, IRB fees, and pharmacy fees.

In 2010 the average number of line items included in global clinical grant site costs was 2.9 line items. That number increased to 3.0 in 2011, and is currently approaching 3.1 line items in 2012. Advertising fees are most responsible for the additional line items.

Additionally, sites are charging more for individual line items. The single most common site cost is the general administrative site startup fee. Between 2010 and 2011 the average site startup administrative fee increased 8%. Halfway through 2012, the average startup administrative fee has increased 3%.

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