What's Next for DCTs?

One of the most prominent areas of discussion in our industry since the COVID-19 pandemic has been decentralized clinical trials (DCTs). While discourse certainly peaked during that time, I find that the conversations around DCTs in the present are a bit different. During COVID, DCTs were leading a number of advancements we thought were years down the road. Now that we are “years down the road,” a lot of the talk around DCTs involves the key question of, “What’s next?” DCTs are still an incredible tool for studies, but we now need to find ways to sustain that. This July/August issue of Applied Clinical Trials takes a hard look into the current state of DCTs and what their future could look like.

Our coverage begins with a special feature on the overarching theme of evaluating the current state of DCTs. The DCT market is projected to increase over the next several years from $8.5 billion in 2023 to $13.3 billion by 2030. With that figure in mind, there are questions around the study model’s long-term sustainability. In this article, five industry experts chime in on what they believe should be the next steps in advancing DCTs.

Our second feature focuses on some of the complexities that come with executing DCTs. Common pitfalls the author, Sandra Orset, PhD, stresses should be avoided at all costs include incomplete risk management, regulatory non-compliance, and vendor non-compliance. For the next feature article, Jeanne Hecht, CEO and chairwoman, Lexitas Pharma Services, takes us on a journey through the evolution of clinical research as a care option (CRAACO). While the concept has come a long way in recent years with advancements in regulatory oversight and DE&I, there is still work to be done. Hecht is confident the industry will continue to make new strides and tap new tools in promoting awareness of clinical trials. Our quartet of features for this issue wraps up with a piece on streamlining trials with eSource. A use case from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center showcases the potential of capturing data through electronic health records.

For additional insights into the world of DCTs, this issue also includes a conversation with Joachim Lövin, workstream lead on modernizing clinical trial conduct at TransCelerate BioPharma Inc., and DCT specialist at Novo Nordisk.

On a side note, in June, ACT was present at one of the forefront events in drug development every year—the Drug Information Association’s Global Annual Meeting. For full coverage, please visit our website conference page here.

As always, thank you for reading.

Mike Hennessy Jr is president and CEO of MJH Life Sciences®