We invite you to take a look at the take-home messages and next steps from yesterday’s sessions.
SESSION 3: WHAT I SHOULD HAVE ASKED WHEN I STARTED MY CARREER IN CANCER DRUG DEVELOPMENT
❇ Take-Home Messages
• It is important to consider where you want your career to land if you are interested in cancer drug development, and plan your education and training to be prepared for a career in drug development.
• Modern cancer drug development involved basic science, clinical science, and an interplay between patient needs and regulatory trajectories.
• Careers in cancer drug development involve interactions between each of these constituents, but can be focused on and area or areas of personal interest and strength, combined with effective communication and management skills.
• Opportunities for more formal exposure to the drug development process, in the form of workshops, internships, and post-doctoral and early career training should be considered, as these each have a positive impact on those who experience them.
❇ Next Steps
• The CDDF may want to consider organizing career development activities such as training and education in cancer drug development, in cooperation with major pharma companies and/or educational institutions.
SESSION 4: DECENTRALISED CLINICAL TRIALS
❇ Take-Home Messages
• Acknowledgement of high interest from industry, academia, regulators and patient groups to adopt decentralization of cancer clinical trials to enhance equitable access, diversity of clinical trial population and patient centric drug development
• An example of the set up needed for a decentralized precision oncology trial at a leading academic network in the UK was discussed
• Regulatory representatives encouraged identifying the right type of trial to implement decentralization; perhaps pragmatic trials with simpler design or later stage trials like post marketing commitment trials rather than early- stage trials; demonstrate success in simpler trials first before moving on to complex trials
• Need to keep the legal framework in mind and legislative actions likely needed to remove hurdles and enable uptake of decentralized trials
• Opportunities to enhance inclusion of vulnerable populations like the elderly, disabled and rural populations via appropriate decentralization approaches was encouraged
❇ Next Steps
• Follow up at a webinar and/or the 2024 CDDF Annual meeting by showcasing examples of decentralized clinical trials (hybrid or fully decentralized trials) including challenges and opportunities.