5 Tips for Landing a COVID-19 Vaccine Study in 2021
Wondering how your site can land a COVID 19 study in 2021? There are a few factors your site will need to keep in mind in order to be awarded a study.
First.
It is important to understand that trials remain highly competitive, and will continue to remain that way. It may be very challenging if you are trying to break into one of these studies with limited or no vaccine experience. You want to make sure you have a good strategy with your business development team.
Second.
Current vaccine approvals are likely to have an impact on future enrollment. Patients may be less incentivized to trials that involve placebos, when they could potentially go down the street and get the vaccine. This is something sponsors are already thinking about, but it is important that sites also begin to think about how you would be able to curb enrollment.
Third.
Have a plan in place to handle large volumes of patients. Thinking about your current site space, is it large enough? Do you have enough space for multiple patients to be dosed at the same time? Do you have appropriate staffing? Do you have significant PPE resources? It is important to think about these questions and know how you would address some of these situations should you get the opportunity to be awarded a COVID-19 study.
Fourth.
It is also important to think about how geographic location could likely play a significant role in site selection for 2021. It is likely that sponsors will need to meet new FDA guidelines to show that their vaccine is truly being tested for efficacy. These new FDA guidelines will essentially force study teams to select site areas with the highest COVID-19 cases to meet this requirement.
There are also at least two more vaccines that will likely be granted emergency use authorization in the US sometime within Q1. Having 4 vaccine approvals in the US may slow down the speed in which we see sponsors proceed with their trials this year.
Fifth.
Think about financial considerations. Do these studies pay well? COVID-19 treatment and vaccine studies have shown to be very fruitful for sites that pursue them. Both the treatment and vaccine trials can be very high enrolling, which can also be very lucrative for sites. Keep in mind though that turn around times for budget and contract are expedited for many of these trials and sites will need to respond and work very quickly.
Elligo strives to help sites achieve success! From study lead generation, patient pre-screenings, financial management services, site staffing, and more, our team looks forward to assisting your site.