Saama is proud to kick-off the first installment of our Clinical Trial Excellence for Tomorrow and Beyond blog series, each of which will be authored by one of Saama’s six new Clinical Board of Advisors members. This week, Jonathan Zung, Ph.D. President of Clintrax and former Group President of Clinical Development & Commercialization Services at Covance Drug Development, offers his perspective on the types of partnerships that will help CROs optimize clinical trial success in the 21st century.
The complexity and cost of clinical trials continues to increase, while options for investigators and patients interested in participating in a trial have never been greater. The ultimate objective is to make it easier for investigators and patients to participate in a trial. The challenge, however, continues to be the need to simplify and optimize the different steps in the clinical trial process so the trial is attractive to the investigator and patient. Each step, whether it is site feasibility, site contracting, data management, protocol optimization, etc., requires a different way of thinking and a set of tools that can reduce the trial burden and complexity, while introducing more consistency and simplicity. Niche providers often deliver unique solutions that address specific pain points, bringing consistency and simplicity to the processes they address. These providers must be able to seamlessly integrate into the clinical trial ecosystem.