03 Jan Enhancement, Efficiency, Equity, and Engagement: Four Trends Shaping Clinical Trials in 2024

The Association of Clinical Research Professionals

Historically, patient recruitment and retention have been pressing issues within the clinical trial space. Eighty-five percent of trials fail to recruit enough patients, while 80% are delayed due to other factors like participant dropouts. These high rates are influenced by financial, emotional, and logistical barriers to participation, such as geographic location and travel-related costs, which prevent patients from enrolling in trials and accessing life-changing medicine.

As 2024 gets under way, clinical trial stakeholders are witnessing transformative trends aimed at addressing these pain points. Below are some critical considerations for pharmaceutical sponsors and contract research organizations (CROs) to keep top of mind in the new year.

Building Upon Decentralized Trials

In 2020, study sponsors and CROs relied heavily on decentralized clinical trial (DCT) models to keep existing studies on track and launch new trials while adhering to evolving pandemic protocols. While the popularity of DCTs grew through 2021, many sponsors have returned to a clinical trial site–focus strategy since 2022. Read more…