Only 3% to 5% of cancer patients participate in clinical trials. Although oncology projects account for almost 31% of global projects, it remains the most difficult therapeutic area in which to conduct clinical trials.
Only 3% to 5% of cancer patients participate in clinical trials. Although oncology projects account for almost 31% of global projects, it remains the most difficult therapeutic area in which to conduct clinical trials. Why, and what can be done to improve patient recruitment?
In the peer-reviewed article “Patient-First Approach to Improve Oncology Trials“, which first appeared in Applied Clinical Trials in March, 2013, Linda Strause, PhD, proposes that the industry must learn to put the patient at the center of the clinical trial enterprise by viewing the process through the eyes of the patient.
Strause speaks from both professional and also personal experience. As the Executive Director and Head, Clinical Operations, Vical Inc. Research Scientist & Founder, Institute of Palliative Medicine & San Diego Hospice IRB, Strause was also primary caregiver to her husband from the time he was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) to his death. What Strause discovered on the medical journey with her husband was that hope remains a constant, but hope changes form and it can be a detriment to participating in a trial.
Navigating Distrust: Pharma in the Age of Social Media
February 18th 2025Ian Baer, Founder and CEO of Sooth, discusses how the growing distrust in social media will impact industry marketing strategies and the relationships between pharmaceutical companies and the patients they aim to serve. He also explains dark social, how to combat misinformation, closing the trust gap, and more.