The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted clinical operations and accelerated much-needed change, according to a new survey conducted by Informa Pharma Intelligence on behalf of Oracle Health Sciences. With patients unable to physically visit clinical trial sites, 76% of survey respondents noted that the pandemic sped their adoption of decentralized clinical trial methods. The same percentage (76%) reported at least some of their trials have already been decentralized, and 38% indicated more than half are decentralized. But despite this momentum, respondents said concerns remain around decentralized trial data collection and quality, as well as regulatory guidance.
“The pandemic will have a profound and lasting effect on clinical trials,” said Henry McNamara, senior vice president and general manager, Oracle Health Sciences. “The survey results illustrate how quickly the industry has pivoted and adopted new approaches, such as decentralized clinical trial methods, to keep clinical research going in these unprecedented times. Fortunately, our technology supports this change today and is designed to carry the industry forward.”
The Accelerated Evolution of Clinical Trials in a Pandemic Environment survey, which was conducted from September 21 through November 11, 2020, gathered data from 252 respondents representing professionals from biopharmaceutical companies, CROs, and medical device companies involved in the operation and management of clinical trials. The respondents were located primarily in North America and Europe, with some representation from the Asia Pacific and the rest of the world.
To learn more and download the full report, click here.
FDA Grants Priority Review to Merck’s sBLA for Winrevair After Early Success in ZENITH PAH Trial
July 2nd 2025Merck’s bid to update Winrevair’s label advances with FDA priority review, backed by Phase III ZENITH data showing a 76% reduction in major morbidity and mortality events in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Unifying Industry to Better Understand GCP Guidance
May 7th 2025In this episode of the Applied Clinical Trials Podcast, David Nickerson, head of clinical quality management at EMD Serono; and Arlene Lee, director of product management, data quality & risk management solutions at Medidata, discuss the newest ICH E6(R3) GCP guidelines as well as how TransCelerate and ACRO have partnered to help stakeholders better acclimate to these guidelines.
Phase III PROMINENT Trial Initiated to Evaluate Felzartamab for Primary Membranous Nephropathy
June 30th 2025The global Phase III PROMINENT trial has begun dosing patients to evaluate felzartamab in treating primary membranous nephropathy, a serious autoimmune kidney disorder with no FDA-approved therapies.
Putting Collective Insights Into Action to Advance Cancer Care: Key Examples From ASCO 2025
June 27th 2025At ASCO 2025, clinical operations leaders gained critical insights into how AI tools, bispecific antibodies, and evolving treatment paradigms are reshaping trial design, endpoint selection, and patient stratification.