For patients living with unmet medical needs, the development of effective therapies is critical. To ensure solutions deliver the most meaningful benefits possible, it is the responsibility of sponsors and CROs to develop a complete understanding of any given condition, the literature and seek an array of expert opinions. And yet, even this comprehensive approach does not provide the full picture without involvement from the ultimate end users – the patients themselves.
Patients are the experts on their disease. They understand treatment hurdles and can express which outcomes are most meaningful to them, which may not always align with those deemed of greatest importance by clinicians and industry. Only by including patient insights across the entire process can we efficiently mitigate risk while navigating the incredibly complex environment of drug development.
But what benefits will sponsors see by including patient perspectives in their decision-making? From informing asset planning and endpoint selection to medical communications and market access strategies, the advantages of these insights are endless.
Patient input drives more effective drug development
Understanding all aspects of the patient journey is imperative to successful clinical research. However, accomplishing this requires early and continuous discussions between healthcare providers (HCPs), patients and care partners to fully incorporate their voices into the drug development process. This includes learning more about patient treatment goals, their most challenging symptoms, the impact of existing treatment side effects, considerations for the whole family unit and practical barriers to trial participation, each critical to patient decision making. Members of Parexel’s Patient Advisory Council tell us that half of the challenge of being in a trial is medical and the other half is practical. Understanding these practicalities is therefore critical to planning and implementing an effective clinical trial that proactively addresses as many barriers as possible on both fronts.
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