Going Virtual: Yes, Oncology Trials Can Do It Too

By Cynthia Venendaal, MPH, PhD, Vice President, Clinical Operations, IQVIA Biotech

If COVID-19 has taught the industry anything, it is that we must think differently to elevate innovation around clinical development, especially for the most vulnerable populations. For patients with cancer, their families, and health systems, the burden of cancer, physically, emotionally, and financially, is mounting. Add in a global pandemic the concern only grows.

But, exactly how do patients receive much needed continued care when there is limited and, in some cases, no access to providers, trial sites, and more? And, with the risk of exposure to COVID-19, will immunocompromised patients be safe to participate in trials in the traditional sense now and in the future? How does drug discovery continue safely?