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The COVID-19 pandemic has understandably generated a surge of concern among clinical researchers about how best to minimize the risk to study subjects of exposure to COVID-19 while also preserving study integrity and a favorable risk-benefit of study participation for subjects. In general, research principles don’t change because the world is going through a public health crisis, and the principles of Good Clinical Practice, risk-benefit, subject safety, and ethics remain as fundamental priorities of clinical research.

This blog post serves as an introduction to a series of posts related to maintenance of the reliability and validity of ongoing clinical trial data during the COVID-19 pandemic. The FDA Guidance on conduct of clinical trials of medical products during the COVID-19 pandemic, released initially on March 18th and updated on March 27th (with questions and answers), provides support for industry, investigators, and Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) managing these new challenges.

Diversity in clinical research is important for ethical and scientific reasons. When women and non-White populations are not represented in clinical research, this limits our understanding of the safety and efficacy of drugs to treat important health issues in these populations. Learn more about these findings in Yael Symes’ comprehensive blog.

While it is important to understand how to navigate the complex generic drug approval pathway, it is first necessary to determine whether your drug product should be submitted as an abbreviated new drug application (ANDA) for approval as a generic or if it requires submission of a 505(b)(2) new drug application. This particular issue is addressed in a draft guidance “Determining Whether to Submit an ANDA or a 505(b)(2) Application.” Our blog will help you understand when a 505(b)(2) application is appropriate and when an ANDA is appropriate.

How can we ensure that successful clinical trial interventions will lead to long-term improvements in healthcare? Novel research and information dissemination projects like the CHAMPS program offer promise for bridging the gap between clinical trials and health practice.

Rho representatives joined regulators, industry scientists, and numerous patient-advocacy groups at CBI’s Rare Disease Clinical Development and Access Summit in Washington. Attendees were able to share best practices in product development for rare disease programs in formal presentations and through informal networking. Here are 4 considerations for your development program that were highlighted during the conference.

What is gene therapy? With over 450 gene therapy and gene-based medicine companies worldwide and around 800 gene therapy and gene-modified cell therapy clinical trials being conducted, it’s time to find out.

What does the FDA’s Office of New Drugs ongoing reorganization process mean for you? Read the latest on what transpired at CBI’s Rare Disease Clinical Development & Access conference in Washington to find out.

Perhaps the greatest value of the TPP is as a communication tool. The ultimate goal of the development program is shared clearly and continually with all the company disciplines, e.g., clinical, preclinical, chemistry manufacturing and controls, regulatory, and marketing. The TPP is also able to be used as an external communication tool that facilitates interactions with regulatory authorities, investors, and the media.

Since the enactment of the Orphan Drug Act in 1983, the number of orphan drug approvals has risen steadily. Rho has received an increasing number of sponsor requests for support of programs working towards an orphan drug approval. Can a product be approved with support from a single trial? To better understand when a single trial approval is possible, we look to FDA guidances.