Blog posts
The future economics of CROs
The ground has shifted for FSO (functional service outsourcing) and Unitized FSP (functional service providers) contract research organizations (CROs).
For years, the playbook for managing these types of CRO economics was familiar. Sponsors negotiated rates while CROs managed headcount and utilization around those rates .
That playbook still holds true today in theory. However, the conditions underneath it have shifted enough that it no longer produces the results it used to. Funding is tighter, sponsors are smaller and more price-sensitive, timelines are compressing ahead of the patent cliff, and AI has moved from an experiment on the roadmap to a baseline expectation in every RFP.
None of that is unique to any one segment of the market, but these pressures land differently for FSO and unitized FSP providers than they do for full-service CROs. That’s because these businesses are built on rate cards for CRAs, monitors, and other functional resources. When sponsors squeeze rates or expect more output per unit, there's no broader program fee to absorb the hit, here the unit economics are the business.
New EU Regulatory Recommendations for Decentralized Trials Keep Focus on Patients and Sites
As clinical trials rapidly modernize, government regulators work to evolve even as the same core principles apply. Still, decentralized clinical trials are – simply – clinical trials, as all research today is decentralized in some way, yet we lack global harmonization of regulations.
Patient perspectives: A year of pharma webinars showcase what’s working and what needs work
Learn what industry topics, trends, and focuses are being well received by patients and caregivers with this blog.
J.P. Morgan Week 2023: Trends, highlights, and themes from this year’s conference
See what key trends and takeaways were at the 2023 JPM conference and how they'll drive the landscape of pharma.
How we standardized deploying vaccine studies in five weeks
By Musaddiq Khan, VP, DCT Solutions
At Medable, we’re always looking to understand the changing environment of clinical research, and how we can help customers overcome the various challenges, risks, and scenarios that these changes bring.
For the past year, I, various clinicians, and research experts at Medable have been working closely to improve how we conduct research for various therapeutic areas. Much like the results shown in Tufts CSDD’s latest whitepaper, we believe that a well-thought, decentralized approach can help bring new therapies in historically challenging therapeutic areas to markets faster.
The result of this work is a brand-new decentralized approach we’re bringing to the market.
2023: The year of the site. We are listening.
As 2022 rounds the bend, the life science industry is at a critical juncture in the adoption of the decentralized clinical trial (DCT) model.
Five myths about eConsent
As our industry continues to follow new paths to digitization, it’s important to debunk the most prevalent myths — both old and new — and reach a deeper understanding of decentralized clinical trials.
DCT takes center stage at DIA 2022 with new Tufts CSDD Study
DIA 2022 provided four days worth of content spanning over 13 talk tracks and hundreds of speakers with three major takeaways.
Using clear language and the latest technology in informed consent forms (ICFs) for clinical trials
Explore ways to improve the consenting communication process using clear language and the latest technology.
How to bring patients into the product journey
Technology today has given patients unparalleled access to information and influence over their health care. As a result, many clinical trial sponsors now recognize the importance of taking a “patient centric” approach to clinical trials. That means designing a treatment, clinical trial, or other health solution centered around the patient, and includes getting feedback from patients, caregivers, families, and advocacy groups every step of the way.
In other words, it means treating patients as informed stakeholders whose participation is key to a successful trial and product following marketing authorization. Engaging patients and truly bringing them into the product journey has the power to transform the future of research and medicine. Read on to understand what patients expect from clinical trials today, and how to engage them throughout the product journey.
Meet patients where they are with consent information
The cornerstone of access to any clinical research project is the informed consent process–the decision of a participant to join a study based upon full and complete sharing of information about what the study will require, the risks of participation, and the voluntary nature of that participation.
This isn’t simply the participant’s signature on a paper or electronic form. According to governmental organizations like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA), that signature is only part of the process. Of perhaps even greater importance is the provision of information to the patient accompanied by a discussion of the study and a chance to have questions answered, so that the decision can truly be considered “informed.”
Interview: Biomarker/Endpoint guidance and why they advance science
Colin Miller is Co-Founder and CEO at The Bracken Group, a life science consultancy providing high-level expert support in imaging, regulatory, due-diligence, and more. A scientist by education, Colin has written more than 70 peer-reviewed scientific and medical publications, published 3 books, and holds 3 patents.