Adaptation of the application of good clinical practice depending on the features of specific research projects

The conduct of clinical trials falls within a strict regulatory framework. The objective of the round table was to develop reasonable recommendations for the implementation of GCP according to the type of research and taking in account the risks and challenges related to this research. Two types of risks have been identified: those related to the characteristics of the research and those related to the impact of the study results. The group designed an evaluation table of these risks. The round table focused its investigations on 3 main themes: monitoring, the investigational medicinal product and undesirable effects. Three methods of monitoring adaptation were analysed in terms of advantages and disadvantages: the gradual approach, the central monitoring, monitoring on the basis of sampling. Examination of the investigational medicinal product focused on the medicinal product circuit. The group recommends using the following 'basic' decision-making tree, which takes three elements into account: 1) is it an investigational medicinal product?, 2) do the trial objectives and design require packaging specific to the research?, 3) is the risk of use higher than that in standard practice? Finally, adaptation of the implementation of GCP in terms of pharmacovigilance appeared very limited and could possibly be considered for the medicinal product, the subject of the research, which already holds a marketing authorisation, and for which the safety profile is well known; in this case, only simplified collection of non-serious adverse events may be envisaged, which may be implemented by designing and using a standard collection listing. The adaptation of the implementation of GCP is possible. This firstly takes into account the characteristics of the research: which objectives/which risks/which challenges. The options in terms of adaptation must be pre-defined, documented and justified; if necessary, they will also be re-assessed in the course of analysis.