Advisory group formed to improve site engagement

10-Oct-2016 - Last updated on 11-Oct-2016 at 14:59 GMT

(Image: iStock/phototechno)

With 40% of sites dropping out of clinical trials, the Society for Clinical Research Sites (SCRS) has launched a clinical trial Site Advisory Group (SAG) as the industry works to improve site engagement.

SCRS announced the launch of the clinical trial Site Advisory Group (SAG) in partnership with Medidata yesterday.

The organization explained that the joint initiative seeks to engage investigative sites throughout the entirely of a clinical trial. The SAG’s goal “will be to identify opportunities to accelerate drug development and overcome operational challenges,” SCRS said in its press release. This includes streamlining the reimbursement process, which has historically been an issue in the industry.

SCRS cited an ongoing research project conducted by the Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative (CTTI), which found payment delays result in high turnover rates among clinical investigators. According to the research, 40% of sites drop out of FDA-regulated clinical trials.

At this percentage, and with onboarding rate averages of $40,000 per new site, the issue is contributing to the increasing cost of drug development, according to CTTI’s research.

As the industry works to improve site relationships, today, the SCRS also announced a site engagement partnership with Eli Lilly & Company.

According to the organization, the partnership will allow for “significant involvement and increasing direct communication” with the sites.