They say there are two certainties in life: death and taxes. If we were to add a third certainty to that list, it might be that we generally have inflation as well. But if rising prices on consumer goods are a fact of life, why are some people surprised when the cost of prescription drugs increase as well?
Anyone involved in clinical work knows investigator engagement is not an easy task. Gathering real-time feedback during a trial, selecting the right investigators, and effectively engaging with sites and investigators can be a monumental challenge.
Earlier this year Invesco Perpetual, an investment firm with holdings in Big Pharma companies including Pfizer, Merck, and GSK, announced a $50 million investment in DrugDev, a data sharing platform for clinical trial doctors with an online network of more than 80,000 clinical trial doctors in 93 countries. DrugDev stated at the time that the money would be used to enhance its clinical trial technology as well as acquire companies with complementary technologies. The first of those companies is CFS Clinical. DrugDev announced it has acquired the company, a provider of business and financial management activities for trials, as part of its plan to help companies control the spiraling cost of clinical trials.
When choosing a partner to participate in your human clinical trial, does it matter if you select a state- or federally chartered clinical facility versus a privately operated clinic or hospital? David Shuey, North America life sciences practice leader for insurance brokerage firm Willis Group Holdings plc., believes it does. In fact, if you are not aware of the differences, it could cost you dearly should a problem arise. The issue is sovereign immunity, an ancient carryover from England that is designed to protect the government from lawsuits.
Electronic Data Capture (EDC) refers to the collection of medical data for patients enrolled in clinical trials. The most common mechanism is for staff at the investigative site to enter the data into a web-based interface, and for staff at the sponsor company to monitor the data using the same interface but with different security permissions. By Keith Howells
On a global scale, the number of new molecular entities (NMEs) in development—and, more importantly, the number being approved by regulatory authorities— has dropped significantly in recent years.
With each passing year, clinical trials are becoming increasingly global. The business of product development is moving away from the traditional model in which studies are conducted primarily in the US – in fact, recent estimates indicate that within the next three years, up to 65 per cent of studies under FDA regulation will be conducted outside the US. A review of a US government clinical trials registry and of 300 published reports in major medical journals revealed that one third (157 of 509) of Phase III trials were being conducted entirely outside the US, with over half the study sites (13,521 of 24,206) used in these trials located overseas, many in eastern Europe and Asia.
One of the many challenges in conducting clinical trials is the speed to completion and finalization of essential and regulatory documents by the investigative site personnel.
All clinical trials collect regulatory documentation in order to receive authorization to conduct the trial at investigative sites. Trials require a Regulatory Binder and many keep separate Study Binders.
Through enhanced productivity and business management tools, Merge CTMS for Investigators allows research organizations to centralize study information, organize research activities, and improve recruitment and financial performance.
Signatures play a crucial role in our day-to-day lives. Organizations understand that paper processes are expensive and are looking to migrate from a pen on paper signature (wet signature) to a true paperless environment. CoSign allows organizations to easily meet this goal.
ICON Medical Imaging’s use of superior technology, advanced science and experienced people lead to the ultimate goal: results.
ICON’s Lifecycle Sciences group offers the full range of services to assist clients with activities throughout the product lifecycle.
