FDA guidance for ABSSSI trials: implications for conducting and interpreting clinical trials

Recent guidance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the conduct of clinical trials for acute bacterial skin and skin structure infection (ABSSSI) has changed the framework for clinical trial design and conduct. Notable changes included new disease state definitions, new primary endpoint definitions and the timing of assessments at these endpoints, and updated guidance on patient inclusion/exclusion criteria. Supportive evidence and statistical justification for the proposed noninferiority margins were described in detail. Although the updated guidelines are still considered drafts and have been adopted in some trials, they serve as the basis for study protocol discussions between pharmaceutical companies and the FDA in advancing the development of promising new agents. Not only will the new trial designs impact researchers and sponsors responsible for drug development programs, but they will also affect healthcare providers participating in clinical trials and the ways in which clinicians develop patient treatment plans based on the results of those trials. This review provides a summary of key changes that will impact future clinical trial design and outcomes.