Advantages of Rapid Patient Recruitment in Clinical Trials

Clinical trial recruitment is challenging.

FREMONT, CA: One of the most frustrating aspects of medical research today is the speed—patients require new treatments immediately. Sponsors can not only meet but exceed deadlines for clinical trial patient recruitment, bringing new therapies to patients faster. Still, clinical trials are frequently delayed or closed due to a lack of patients willing to participate.

Below are some of the benefits of faster clinical trial patient recruitment

Provide treatments to patients in need

Patients worldwide are eagerly awaiting treatments that will outperform their current options—or even cure their disease. Rapid recruitment of patients for clinical trials enables the entire drug development process to proceed more quickly. A new medicine typically takes at least ten years to reach the market; more than half of that time is generally spent on clinical trials. By shortening that timeline, critical treatments can get patients more quickly.

Reduce opportunity costs

There is also an economic cost to consider. When a sponsor commits resources to a trial that is taking an unreasonable amount of time,

it means that other tests or projects with a greater chance of success are put on hold. While the exact impression is difficult to quantify, research indicates that the opportunity cost of a delayed clinical trial can range between $600,000 and $8,000,000 per day.

Cost savings on operations

Running a clinical trial is an extensive, expensive undertaking—recruitment is challenging enough—but once patients are enrolled in a study, a large number of people and resources are required to ensure that the study has the appropriate sites, that the investigational medication is administered correctly, that patients are followed up, that data is securely captured, and that all protocol requirements are met.

Enhance the sponsor's reputation

Often, trial sponsors are required to report on the progress of their medical research to boards, investors, or shareholders. Accelerating recruitment and reducing enrollment time is one way to ensure the sponsor retains support for the trial and even improves their reputation among key stakeholders.

See Also: Top 10 Security Solution Companies