Clinical Trials Enrollment Crisis Sparks Community-Based Solution

Clinical trials are facing an enrollment crisis, with around 80% of trials not meeting their enrollment timelines. Fewer than 5% of eligible adult cancer patients participate in trials. This results in delayed revenue for phase 3 oncology trials, estimated to cost the industry $50 billion per year.

The capacity issue is a major factor, with Kendra Orjada from Merck & Co. stating that 'there's a saturation issue' and that there are not enough clinical trial sites to accommodate demand. Tracy Vanderslice from Gilead Sciences noted that recruiting participants who reflect the patient pool is another challenge, particularly when it comes to geographic regions.

One potential solution is to lean into community medicine trial sites and investigators, as suggested by Denise Sura from Eli Lilly. This approach involves working with healthcare providers and caregivers to ensure that patients are properly informed and can accelerate through the trial process.