No guesswork here. It’s a combination of experience and that often-overlooked scientific discipline called common sense. We were conducting a Phase 2b trial of a new treatment for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH. And we knew three things: We knew that hepatologists would jump at the chance to enroll their patients, because the only existing treatment...
When it comes to analgesic drug development, it’s important to optimize design of early phase trials. The main objectives of studies at this stage are to: Explore a range of doses Obtain data on onset, peak effect, and duration Assess relative efficacy in comparison to established analgesics To accurately evaluate their product, sponsors need to...
Patient registry and natural history studies are often thought of as interchangeable, but there are major differences in these approaches to clinical drug development. Understanding the role of each is important, as well as understanding the distinctions on how these study designs are used in pursuing treatments for rare diseases. Patient Registries A patient registry...
Psoriasis is a dermatological disorder that is often paired with underlying systemic disease and multiple comorbidities. While a common condition, its wide range of severity and causes, along with several clinical subtypes, make it challenging to treat. Global Impact of Psoriasis The World Health Organization estimates at least 100 million individuals globally live with psoriasis,...
Neurodegenerative disorders present some of the biggest challenges in planning and conducting clinical drug trials. Identifying strategies to proactively address or mitigate these challenges can help to ensure a successful trial. Since the first drugs for neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) were approved in the 1990s, an increasing number of disease- modifying therapies have been approved for...
DURHAM, N.C., MARCH 24, 2017 — Premier Research is launching a smartphone-based patient reported outcome system to replace the paper diaries used in many clinical trials. Premier Mobile ePRO will give sponsors and researchers more accurate and timely patient reported data while reducing the burden on trial participants. “Any study is only as good as...
Translational research has the potential to help all patients, but the principles behind bench-to-bedside research hold special promise for patients with rare diseases — many of which have no standard treatments. Here’s how changes to the way rare oncology studies are performed are getting treatments to the patients who need them at a faster rate. What Makes...
Rare diseases present some unique obstacles for researchers that significantly contribute to the high cost of drug development. Fortunately, innovations in biomarker use have the potential to significantly cut back on these costs while improving data quality. However, before biomarkers can be used in this research, their associated collection, measurement, and evaluation methods must be validated. The key phases of biomarker...
Joining in the elusive pursuit of fibromyalgia pain relief, a small pharmaceutical company engaged Premier Research for a Phase 3 trial following our completion of the product’s Phase 2 research. The compound under study: a muscle relaxer on the market for decades, repurposed for the possible treatment of fibromyalgia. The sponsor chose Premier Research largely...
Dealing with difficult situations is part of the job for project managers in any field, but clinical project managers (CPMs) must overcome a number of unique obstacles on the way to successful study completion. Read on for some of the biggest issues facing project managers today, as well as a few practical strategies for resolving...