2021 Officers and New Member Announcement
Washington DC – The Association of Clinical Research Organizations (ACRO) is pleased to announce that its Board of Directors has elected Steve…
COVID-19Lessons Learned
Warping the speed of vaccine development
Ironically, the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine program did not take “Operation Warp Speed” funding. Even more ironic is the fact that Pfizer got…
COVID-19Lessons Learned
A ‘Holy Grail Moment’ for Clinical Research
It was a familiar scenario: A rare disease area of oncology. A new drug candidate. A desire to assess efficacy as safely and quickly as possible, so that if successful, a new therapy could get approved and change lives. But this desire could have been tempered by reality: the trial was going to be challenging and slow…
COVID-19Lessons Learned
Seeing progress through the eyes of patients
For the clinical research industry, technological tools improve trial continuity, and generate data that helps power more robust monitoring of safety and quality. They can also be a natural fit for patients. IQVIA also sees study participants liking the direct shipment of medicines, telehealth interactions and at-home visits. In the COVID era and beyond, designing more trials with these kinds of technology-enabled strategies is going to help more people by lowering barriers to participation, and speeding the development of new medicines.
COVID-19Lessons Learned
Are we ready for holistic, virtual access?
Diverse technology solutions, like patient telehealth visits, accessing electronic medical records (EMRs) or remote source data verification, can generate vast amounts of data. As the clinical research industry evolves towards its next “new normal” with a higher baseline level of remote monitoring, IQVIA is considering the implications of increasing data access. Are we ready?
COVID-19Lessons Learned
Technology solutions: Weathering a storm, helping envision a future
We all had a flurry of unprecedented activity. We were assessing risks to patients and data, and putting in place mitigation strategies to preserve continuity of the studies.” Those strategies involved thousands of amendments to protocols, adapting to sudden changes that impacted patients and sites around the world.
COVID-19Lessons Learned
A new fight sees new tools and new challenges
A key pillar in the COVID-19 battle is the rapid development of a safe and effective vaccine. As vaccine R&D shifted into gear and then accelerated throughout 2020, with a rapidly growing number of candidates, platforms and manufacturers, it appeared that a bottleneck in this race could actually be the ability to enroll participants.
COVID-19Lessons Learned
A global sense of urgency: Collaborating to advance the conduct of clinical trials
“There’s a global sense of urgency,” says Jamie Macdonald, CEO of Parexel, of the collaboration between stakeholders to accelerate development. One key focus for Macdonald is the lengthy process of trials, and compressing that “dead space” to shorten timelines, improve efficiency and quality.
COVID-19Lessons Learned
The need for new paradigms
“The pandemic has changed everything about the pace of our innovation and our focus,” says Peyton Howell, EVP and Chief Commercial & Strategy Officer at Parexel. There used to be lots of caution around using real-world data and evidence, but this year has illustrated the need for new paradigms.
COVID-19Lessons Learned
A Catalyst for Innovation, Urgency for Now, Momentum for the Future
For Dr. Sy Pretorius, Parexel’s Chief Medical & Scientific Officer, COVID-19 has been a catalyst. The pandemic has accelerated innovations that make it easier for patients to participate and for sponsors to conduct research. Parexel has seen increases in decentralized trials and remote monitoring, where study designs were adapted amidst the pandemic.
Lessons Learned
Sharpening the pencil: Rethinking trial design with the patient at the center
New medicines are at the core of clinical research. Historically in clinical research, these experimental medicines move from a warehouse to a…
Lessons Learned
Patient engagement, thinking ahead and how the clinical research industry helps solve global problems: A conversation with Alistair Macdonald – Part 2
In August 2020, Syneos Health CEO Alistair Macdonald reflected on the COVID-19 crisis to date. Read Part 1 of the conversation. In…
Lessons Learned
Clinical Research in the COVID Era: Learning Lessons, Saving Lives
Doug Peddicord, ACRO’s Executive Director, introduces the series and sheds light on the importance of CROs and technology companies in spearheading clinical innovation through COVID-19 and beyond.
Lessons Learned
COVID, the role of digital, and the future of clinical research: A conversation with Alistair Macdonald – Part 1
In August 2020, Syneos Health CEO and ACRO Board Chair Alistair Macdonald reflected on the COVID-19 crisis to date. This conversation has been edited lightly for clarity.
Press Releases
New ACRO Report Introduces Quality-by-Design, Risk-Based Framework for Decentralizing Clinical Trials
September 1, 2020 – (Washington, DC) – Clinical trial activities have traditionally centered around trial sites where patients travel for participation. This…
NewsPress Releases
ACRO Members Heed the UK Government’s Call for Volunteers in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
May 6, 2020 – (Washington, DC) – In an effort to fight the global COVID-19 pandemic, over 150 employees from clinical research…
Read More
2020 Officers and New Member Announcement
Washington DC – The Association of Clinical Research Organizations (ACRO) is pleased to announce that its Board of Directors has elected Alistair…
Read More
ACRO hosts Congressional Briefing on clinical research advancements
On Wednesday, October 23, 2019, ACRO hosted a Congressional Briefing on Capitol Hill. With the help of the Congressional Research & Development…
Read More
A Consistent Approach to Risk Based Quality Management: Collaboration is Key
Developing, executing and overseeing clinical trials is a complex process. Yet it is essential to gain reliable evidence from clinical trials to…