In recent years, the gene therapy regulatory landscape has evolved from a broad, general guidance to a narrower focus on testing and manufacturing considerations in specific disease states. This article explores how factors such as environmental risk assessment and biosafety can impact gene therapy clinical study start-up as well as the continuing evolution of guidances...
Placebo response is one of the most significant challenges faced by drug developers who are investigating new pain medications. According to a review of published chronic neuropathic pain trials, placebo responses have increased in magnitude over time, making it even more difficult to definitively demonstrate treatment advantage.1 Research has also shown that up to 60...
Gene therapy development is gaining momentum. In 2020 alone, gene therapy attracted $12 billion in global financing through just the first three quarters with more than 370 gene therapy clinical trials underway worldwide.1 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) itself predicted it may be approving 10 to 20 gene therapies per year by the...
Dermatology clinical research is evolving rapidly in response to a regulatory landscape that favors clinical trials that are safer, more justifiable, and less burdensome to study participants. Putting the patient at the center of every phase of the research process — from discovery and preclinical testing to clinical trials and post-marketing studies — can help...
Skin diseases are the fourth leading cause of health afflictions, affecting nearly 900 million people worldwide. It’s not surprising, then, that there has recently been a noticeable increase in dermatology drug development. There are currently thousands of dermatology clinical trials planned or already launched, including a variety of programs investigating innovative, targeted therapies. Much of...
In the year since COVID-19 brought all normal activity to a halt, clinical trial professionals around the world have been forced to re-examine their strategies. What happens when neither patients nor clinical research associates can visit trial sites? How can data collection and data monitoring occur — and critically, how can researchers deliver clean, concise...
The clinical trial industry has been steadily undergoing a data evolution. Data from remote capture devices, such as wearables and other novel sources (e.g., increasingly large health data repositories and electronic healthcare data), have gained importance. Proper management and utilization of such data allows sponsors to untether from a set roster of trial sites, focus...
When developing a long-term follow-up strategy for gene therapy trials, safety is the main concern, closely followed by the patient perspective. Digital technologies and monitoring have proven essential to this, easing the burden on the patient, and providing accurate, time-saving methods of data management. Momentum is increasing in the field of gene therapy, with over...
Professionals focused on drug development are charged with making the most of their resources, maximizing the value of their work, and bringing effective products to market as quickly as they can without compromising quality or safety. It is a long list of responsibilities, and development professionals struggle to balance all of them. Sameena Sharif, senior...
A study, published in BMJ Evidence Based Medicine, looked at caffeine use and pregnancy. At Science Media Center, Dr. Adam Jacobs, Associate Director of Biostatistics, Premier Research, said: “I note the author has published 2 books on the dangers of coffee which in my opinion should have been included in declarations of interest for the journal article....