FDA and Duke University Medical Center on Tuesday announced a public-private partnership to develop new standards and technologies to boost the safety, quality and speed of clinical trials, Technology Daily reports.
Most clinical trial data are recorded on paper, and many say the process is too slow and unwieldy, according to Technology Daily. The collaboration aims to establish common electronic forms for collecting research and data management systems that would allow researchers to analyze and compare results instantly. Such a tool would expedite the discovery of safety problems.
"Indeed, there is concern that our research system is falling behind the needs of society to determine the balance of benefit and risk from drugs, devices and surgical procedures," Robert Califf, Duke's vice chancellor for clinical research and co-chair of the partnership, said.
Duke will host the partnership, and recommendations are expected to take several years to develop (Technology Daily, 11/27).