Right now, it may feel as though clinical research on anything other than COVID-19 has ground to a halt. Of course, our incredible scientists should be racing to launch vaccine and treatment trials – the whole world wishes them well – but for some patients and families, the delays to the trials that affect their own personal treatment odyssey are nothing short of heartbreaking.
Whether organisations choose to delay or forge ahead with their planned trials in these unprecedented times, there is a great deal of support for them. In the US, the FDA has issued guidance for trials that might have to pause their studies, and the world’s ethics committees are offering advice to all those submitting requests to alter trial plans. Some of those organisations that fund clinical trials have also shown amazing flexibility, with the US National Cancer Institute announcing that it will, if possible, allow its investigators to assess trial participants’ health remotely.
|
