Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 12, 2025

Remote Laboratory Management: Respiratory Virus Diagnostics
14:56

Remote Laboratory Management: Respiratory Virus Diagnostics

Published on: April 6, 2019

33.4K

Global clinical trial mobilization for COVID-19: higher, faster, stronger

Reed F Beall1, Aidan Hollis2

  • 1Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine and O'Brien Institute for Public Health, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 4Z6, Canada.

Drug Discovery Today
|August 11, 2020
PubMed

Insights

The Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic saw significantly more, faster, and diverse clinical trials than previous epidemics. International coordination is needed to manage trial congestion and risks.

Area of Science:

  • Epidemiology
  • Clinical Trial Management
  • Public Health Emergencies

Background:

  • The Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic presented a unique clinical trial landscape compared to prior epidemics like H1N1, Ebola, and Zika.
  • A large number of clinical trials were initiated rapidly following the declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the characteristics of the COVID-19 clinical trial landscape.
  • To identify potential challenges and propose solutions for managing large-scale clinical trial initiatives.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of clinical trial data from COVID-19 and previous epidemics (H1N1, Ebola, Zika).
  • Assessment of trial initiation speed, geographical diversity, and funding sources.
  • Evaluation of potential inefficiencies and risks associated with numerous simultaneous trials.

Main Results:

  • COVID-19 trials significantly outnumbered those for previous epidemics within the first three months of a PHEIC.
  • COVID-19 trials were initiated faster, showed greater geographical diversity, and had less industry funding.
  • Hundreds of concurrent trials involving 0.3 million participants across 78 countries pose risks of congestion and inefficiency.

Conclusions:

  • The COVID-19 epidemic's clinical trial approach differs substantially from past epidemics.
  • The rapid, widespread initiation of trials necessitates international coordination to mitigate risks and enhance efficiency for future public health emergencies.

More Related Videos

Large-Scale SARS-CoV-2 Testing Utilizing Saliva and Transposition Sample Pooling08:26

Large-Scale SARS-CoV-2 Testing Utilizing Saliva and Transposition Sample Pooling

Published on: June 23, 2022

1.9K
Dynamic Monitoring of Seroconversion using a Multianalyte Immunobead Assay for Covid-1908:48

Dynamic Monitoring of Seroconversion using a Multianalyte Immunobead Assay for Covid-19

Published on: February 16, 2022

3.2K

Related Concept Videos

Clinical Trials01:16

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are prospective experimental studies conducted on humans to determine the safety and efficacy of treatments, drugs, diet methods, and medical devices. Using statistics in clinical trials enables researchers to derive reasonable and accurate conclusions from the collected data, allowing them to make wise decisions in uncertain situations. In medical research, statistical methods are crucial for preventing errors and bias.
There are four phases in a clinical trial. A phase one...
10.1K
Clinical Trials: Overview01:11

Clinical Trials: Overview

Clinical development focuses on how the drug will interact with the human body and encompasses four key phases of clinical trials, each serving a specific purpose in assessing the safety and effectiveness of new drugs. These phases overlap and build upon one another. Phase I involves a small group of healthy volunteers (typically 20-80 individuals) or, in cases where significant toxicity is expected, patients with the targeted disease, such as cancer or AIDS. The volunteers are tested for...
4.4K
Pharmacovigilance01:19

Pharmacovigilance

Post-marketing surveillance is a critical component of pharmaceutical regulation, often uncovering unanticipated adverse drug reactions (ADRs) once a drug is widely used over an extended period.
This process, termed pharmacovigilance, aims to detect, evaluate, and minimize harmful effects related to medication use. The data collection for pharmacovigilance depends on spontaneous reporting systems, where healthcare professionals or patients voluntarily report suspected ADRs.
In some cases, there...
1.5K
Preclinical Development: Overview01:28

Preclinical Development: Overview

Preclinical development consists of a series of tests that ensure the safety and efficacy of a new therapeutic compound before it is tested in humans. There are four main phases to this process. First, safety pharmacology tests are conducted to ensure the drug does not produce any acutely harmful effects. These tests examine parameters such as bronchoconstriction, cardiac dysrhythmias, blood pressure changes, and ataxia. Next, preliminary toxicological testing is performed to determine the...
5.6K
Bioavailability Study Design: Healthy Subjects Versus Patients01:15

Bioavailability Study Design: Healthy Subjects Versus Patients

Bioavailability studies are essential for evaluating a drug's therapeutic efficacy and understanding its absorption patterns under various physiological conditions. Conducting such studies on target patient populations provides more relevant data by simulating real-world disease states. However, practical challenges often necessitate the use of young, healthy adult volunteers as study subjects.Patients may exhibit altered drug absorption patterns due to the effects of the disease itself,...
71
Global Regulatory Systems01:28

Global Regulatory Systems

Global regulatory systems in bacteria enable rapid and coordinated responses to environmental changes by integrating sensory inputs with gene expression, ensuring efficient adaptation to fluctuating conditions. Key global regulatory mechanisms include regulons, two-component systems, sigma factors, and secondary messengers.Regulons and Global RegulatorsA regulon is a collection of genes and operons controlled by a common global regulator. These regulators enable bacteria to prioritize resource...
417