Moving forward in clinical research with master protocols

Jay J H Park; Louis Dron; Edward J Mills

doi:10.1016/j.cct.2021.106438

Moving forward in clinical research with master protocols

Contemp Clin Trials. 2021 Jul:106:106438. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2021.106438. Epub 2021 May 14.

Authors

Jay J H Park¹, Louis Dron², Edward J Mills²

Affiliations

¹ Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Electronic address: jayhpark1@alumni.ubc.ca.
² Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Abstract

With billions of dollars in research and development (R&D) funding continuing to be invested, the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become into a singular focus for the scientific community. However, the collective response from the scientific communities have seen poor return on investment, particularly for therapeutic research for COVID-19, revealing the existing weaknesses and inefficiencies of the clinical trial enterprise. In this article, we argue for the importance of structural changes to existing research programs for clinical trials in light of the lessons learned from COVID-19.

MeSH terms

Biomedical Research / economics
Biomedical Research / organization & administration*
Biomedical Research / standards
COVID-19 / epidemiology*
COVID-19 / therapy*
Clinical Protocols / standards*
Clinical Trials as Topic / economics
Clinical Trials as Topic / organization & administration*
Clinical Trials as Topic / standards
Humans
SARS-CoV-2