Cytel has launched an open-access global COVID-19 Clinical Trial Tracker to help facilitate greater collaboration between researchers, policy-makers, clinicians, journalists, philanthropists, and other critical stakeholders who need to understand the complex dynamics of the global response to finding a solution to the current coronavirus pandemic. This will enable them to make more-informed and pragmatic decisions on how to channel scarce resources.
Clinicians and local government need to know what trials are taking place in their community to ensure that the right patients receive the right exploratory treatment, while philanthropists and policymakers deserve a one-stop shop to determine which are the most promising early-phase treatment results.
Funded in part by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, this live dashboard offers an overview of all the trials taking place in the international effort to tackle the pandemic. One of the most difficult challenges facing those seeking a COVID-19 treatment is the scarcity of information about this disease. Early investigators are relying on guesswork to determine which therapies to investigate. Collating information in one place on the growing numbers of trials will enable decision-makers to compare treatments more easily as they determine which to investigate further.
In the short time since the outbreak occurred, around 500 trials have already commenced – a number that is growing daily. Without a dashboard, scientists and other stakeholders would have to examine hundreds of different trial registries for updates, to determine which are most promising. The dashboard collates these in one place, making it easy to see all the relevant trials, and to compare the effectiveness of treatments. Such comparisons will also help foster more transparent debates about reasonable cost-benefit analysis during times when tough calls are required about where to direct resources.
By creating this dashboard to facilitate the sharing of crucial information, Cytel aims to encourage further collaboration between scientific, philanthropic and policy-making stakeholders around the world while also informing journalists, policy-makers and local government about options for testing in their area.
To access the COVID-19 Clinical Trial Tracker developed by Cytel, visit www.covid19-trials.com
Information on how Cytel is helping companies optimise clinical trials related to COVID-19 is available on the compny’s website.
