First Comprehensive Clinical Site Initiation Benchmark, Developed by Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development, Finds Study Startup Is Lengthy and Inefficient
Summary
BOSTON, March 07, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The clinical site initiation process—time needed to identify and select sites and begin studies—takes an average of nearly eight months, longer than it did a decade ago, and remains inefficient, according to a study recently completed by the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development ."Although the biopharma industry has implemented new technology solutions and practices to shorten the study initiation process, it remains highly inefficient with wide variation between companies," said Mary Jo Lamberti, senior research fellow at Tufts CSDD, who led the analysis.28% of engaged investigative sites are new relationships with no prior history or familiarity of working with a CRO or sponsor, a proportion that is expected to increase as more clinical trials focus on rare diseases and highly targeted patient sub-populations.Established in 1976, the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development ( http://csdd.tufts.edu ) is a multidisciplinary academic research group that provides data-driven analyses and strategic insight to help developers, regulators, and policy makers improve the efficiency and productivity of pharmaceutical R&D.Tufts CSDD also offers CME-accredited professional development courses, hosts workshops and public forums, and publishes the Tufts CSDD Impact Report , a bimonthly newsletter focusing on critical drug development issues.