Site Characteristics Influencing the Translation of Clinical Research Into Clinical Practice

Investigative sites participating in clinical trials play an instrumental role in aiding market adoption. Site experiences in clinical research help physician investigators and research professionals gain familiarity with and exposure to investigational treatments. This knowledge may be passed on to sponsor companies and may ultimately assist in positioning new products and driving commercialization success. This study evaluates site characteristics that influence the acquisition and sharing of knowledge gained through clinical trial experience. The impact of 2 central site characteristics on the process of translating drug experience is assessed: site location (North America/rest of the world) and site type or setting (academic/independent). The results show that investigative sites located outside North America generate and share more knowledge than those within North America. Furthermore, although both academic and independent sites generate the same level of knowledge, academic sites share more of this knowledge with sponsor companies. This study suggests new strategies that sponsors can leverage to drive greater transfer of clinical research knowledge into clinical practice and ultimately improve the commercialization of newly launched therapies.