Clinical Research: Phase 1 - Phase 4

A Primer on Cancer Immunotherapy Part 1: Goals & Major Approaches

In recent years, immunotherapy has led to substantial advances in cancer therapy. In particular, the immune checkpoint inhibitors — PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4 inhibitors — have revolutionized treatment for certain hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved six immunotherapies across 19 cancer types and two tissue-agnostic conditions. But widespread...

Clinical Research: Phase 1 - Phase 4

The Medicine Maker: The Winding Road to the Frontline for Advanced Therapies

According to the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine, there were 1,085 active advanced therapy medicinal product (ATMP) developers and more than 150 phase III trials underway at the end of 2020. These numbers are not small, and they make it clear that ATMPs have much to offer in helping us overcome as-yet undefeated diseases.ATMPs are different...

Clinical Research: Phase 1 - Phase 4

Gene Therapy for Parkinson’s Disease: Strategies and Operational Requirements

Introduction Gene therapy holds great promise as a potential treatment for Parkinson’s disease, a disorder for which currently available medications do not causally treat the underlying disease mechanisms. However, given the early stage of gene therapy research in this therapeutic area, questions abound regarding its utility and practicality in treating Parkinson’s disease. Those questions have...

Clinical Research: Phase 1 - Phase 4

ContractPharma: Gene Therapy Trials

Since the first gene therapy trial in 1990, the regulatory landscape has shifted from broad, loosely defined guidance with little variation between different cell and gene therapies to a more robust collection of guidelines and directives focused on testing and manufacturing considerations for these products in specific disease states and therapeutic settings. This article will...

Clinical Research: Phase 1 - Phase 4

PharmaTimes: Keeping Pace

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...

Medical and Regulatory Affairs

Applied Clinical Trials: The Rise of Gene Therapy: Advanced Regulatory, Site, and Enrollment Considerations

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...

Clinical Research: Phase 1 - Phase 4

Pursuing Parkinson’s Disease Gene Therapies: Strategies & Operational Requirements

Premier Insight 274: Site Selection, Manufacturing, and Long-Term Follow-Up in a Transition Phase 1/2 Gene Therapy Trial

Background Designing and conducting a gene therapy trial is a complex undertaking. Understanding, planning for, and overcoming the myriad of challenges of operationalizing these studies will help you bring safe, breakthrough treatments to patients with unmet medical needs. Premier Research recently faced these challenges firsthand while operationalizing a transition Phase 1/2 trial involving localized administration...

Medical and Regulatory Affairs

How COVID-19 Is Making Operationalizing Gene Therapy Trials Even Tougher – And How We Handled It

Though gene therapy has been around for decades, it continues to pose extraordinary challenges in the areas of R&D, clinical development, and operation of clinical trials. Sponsors and CROs face shifting operational and regulatory demands amid rapid advances in the science of precision medicine. In our previous blog post, we discussed site selection, manufacturing, long-term...

Medical and Regulatory Affairs

Site Selection, Manufacturing & Long-Term Follow-Up: Looming Challenges for a Rescue Phase 1/2 Gene Therapy Trial

Designing and conducting a gene therapy trial is a complex undertaking. Understanding, planning for, and overcoming the myriad challenges of operationalizing these studies will help you bring safe, breakthrough treatments to patients with unmet medical needs. In this blog post, we introduce a case study as a framework for exploring critical study design considerations of...