The fact that decentralized clinical trials are no fad is good news for patients with obvious advantages, but the trend may seem daunting for small-to-midsized biotechnology and biopharmaceutical companies.
The digitalization of trials and centralized statistical monitoring has generated the need for a new breed of data analysts—people with a broad range of skills and with a promise of significant job satisfaction.
Though some challenges will be naturally mitigated as the decentralized clinical trial (DCT) process matures, others have demonstrated why DCTs will never be a one-size-fits-all solution for patients and clinical trial teams.
Even as the industry recognizes the benefits of DCTs, it is wading through the complexities of how to implement the model most effectively and at scale through an ecosystem of best-of-breed, trial-enablement providers.
On top of the current regulatory limbo, digital therapeutics manufacturers face many of the same clinical trial challenges as traditional drug makers, including those tied to patient recruitment and retention, quality of data, and costs.