Clinical studies are proliferating, with official figures showing 472,608 trials in progress across 222 nations. Sustainability has emerged as a key concern in this context, transforming clinical trial methodologies.

Organizations that adopt coordinated clinical technology approaches can improve data integrity and address urgent sustainability issues. Investing in suitable technological solutions can boost trial efficiency and directly influence sustainability objectives. Overall, this can simplify the technology experience for sites and diminish the carbon footprint of companies. So, what methods can we employ to attain these efficiencies?

Clinical Trial Challenges

The clinical trials sector faces novel challenges that affect trial efficiency and outcomes, influencing patient involvement, result quality, and sustainability. Soaring costs place economic stress on trials, necessitating creative approaches to uphold environmental commitments. Container expenses have risen by an astonishing 250%, and the costs for API precursors have increased by 100% to 200%. Moreover, inflated fuel prices and fluctuations in the natural gas market have exacerbated financial pressures. These fiscal challenges highlight the importance of aligning resource management with sustainability objectives and consistently minimizing waste.

Amid financial constraints, clinical trials also contend with a surplus of patient-oriented technology and strive to reduce complexity while enhancing patient retention and recruitment. Sites face difficulties in merging various data sources and are burdened by reconciling multiple datasets and addressing data duplication. Organizations are realizing that not all technology, integrations, or automation approaches yield identical results and are starting to search for technologies that can mitigate trial challenges while elevating quality and streamlining processes.

Shortages in crucial raw materials and labor affect trial execution and underscore the necessity to conserve resources. Logistical hurdles, such as scarce drug and API supplies, costly comparator drugs, brief IP expiration periods, and large delivery volumes, contribute to financial stress. Cutting shipping and energy expenses is a financial imperative in this context. A holistic and integrated platform strategy, like adopting advanced drug supply tools, reduces costs while enhancing efficiency and productivity.

The current state of trial supply chain issues emphasizes the critical need to preserve efforts and supplies, which is the sole way to tackle the productivity and technology obstacles previously mentioned. Automating supply strategies based on live trial data and forming deep global logistics partnerships leads to more effective and sustainable practices.

Assessing Technology Vendors for Sustainable Alliances

To optimize clinical supplies and achieve sustainability targets, it's essential to collaborate with technology vendors that specialize in tools and services that fulfill both aspects. The ideal Interactive Response Technology (IRT) partner can play a pivotal role in precise supply chain modeling, accurate forecasting, and automating supply strategies using live trial data. They can also assist in establishing strong global logistics partnerships that bolster sustainable practices.

Vendors should present innovative solutions that streamline operations, refine supply chains, and contribute to environmental objectives. Assessing a vendor's clinical trial safety measures and protocols ensures their technology meets regulatory standards and ultimately safeguards patient health. With the growing dependence on digital platforms, stringent data privacy protections are imperative. Prospective technology partners must also possess robust cybersecurity to preserve trial integrity and data safety.

Leveraging Technology for Future Advancement

Strategic investments in technological solutions have the capacity to transform and redefine trial efficiency and sustainability. Implementing advancements that simplify the site technology experience and remove obstacles to patient technology adoption greatly reduces companies' dependence on antiquated paper-based methods. The advantages of this approach include:

1. Boosting Collaboration and Integration: Employing technology to promote collaboration and integration across trial functions leads to more efficient and sustainable practices, such as forming deep global logistics partnerships and integrating platforms like eConsent, IRT, and electronic clinical outcome assessments (eCOAs) to minimize paper-based tasks that depend on manual labor.

2. Overcoming Barriers to Patient Tech Adoption: Simplifying the site technology experience aids in enhancing patient engagement. Intuitive interfaces and efficient workflows are crucial to this strategy, fostering an environment where patients can stay connected remotely, while sites receive all necessary data and information.

3. Decreasing Paper Use: Transitioning from paper to digital platforms increases efficiency and aligns with sustainability objectives. By reducing paper consumption, trials can lessen waste and demonstrate a commitment to environmental conservation.

4. Cutting Down on Unnecessary Shipments: Utilizing near-instant data to decrease surplus shipments and waste is vital for companies to lower their carbon footprint. Precise resupply forecasting through technology helps prevent overstocking and supports both economic and environmental sustainability.

5. Lowering IP Waste to Reduce Carbon Emissions: Intelligent solutions that reduce IP waste aid in cost savings and environmental preservation. Tools that enable accurate inventory tracking and management prevent needless waste and reflect a thoughtful approach to innovation and ecological care.

Strategies for Integration and Automation

Integration and automation are crucial strategies for maximizing efficiency and contributing to sustainability. These strategies extend beyond process simplification to enable more accurate and responsive operations, benefiting sponsors, sites, and patients.

• Streamlining Operations: Integration and automation facilitate smooth workflows, lessen manual tasks, and reduce mistakes. This results in quicker decision-making and more effective trial management.

• Improving Data Precision: Automating data collection and integration ensures higher data accuracy and immediate insights. This aids in better forecasting, planning, and adherence to sustainability objectives.

• Encouraging Collaboration: Integration promotes cooperation across different trial functions, improving coordination and efficiency. This interconnected approach supports both productivity and environmental responsibility.

• Unifying Processes: Integrating eConsent, IRT, and eCOA into a single platform simplifies the technology experience. This leads to improved patient engagement and streamlined site operations.

• Enhancing Compliance and Monitoring: A unified platform guarantees consistent regulatory compliance and enables real-time monitoring. This improves trial integrity and sustainability.

• Reducing Paper and Waste: The transition from paper-based methods to integrated digital platforms diminishes waste and upholds sustainability goals.

Integrated clinical trial platforms offer numerous benefits over conventional methods, such as task automation, error reduction, and enhanced data quality. Moreover, these integrations facilitate cooperation across trial functions, boost patient involvement, and improve sustainability.

Future Outlook: What Lies Ahead?

Sites are open to technology solutions that enhance trial insights, data quality, and patient support. Nonetheless, technology proliferation without adequate integration can introduce complexities, increase burdens, and extend trial durations. Product development strategies and integration roadmaps, along with expertise and support from project management and customer service teams, are essential for the successful integration of technology solutions.

Effective integrations will deliver tangible benefits to sponsors throughout the clinical trial process, incorporating sponsor input and collaboration to refine trial solutions. Investments in new solutions, services, and tools will also streamline the site technology experience, eliminate adoption barriers, and reduce reliance on paper systems.

Transforming the Future of Trials

Investing strategically in technology solutions is not solely about improving trial efficiency; it's about revolutionizing trial conduct and intensifying the focus on sustainability. By adopting these strategies, we can forge a future where clinical trials are carried out with proficiency, innovation, and a strong commitment to responsible practices and environmental guardianship.

A version of this content first published in Pharmaceutical Outsourcing’s Q1 2024 issue