The traditional trial model is outdated and causes multiple issues for patients, trial sites, and sponsors. These issues are predominantly related to low patient recruitment and retention rates, leading to trial delays and high costs. Virtual trials offer an innovative solution to these problems by improving patient experiences and satisfaction with the use of digital technologies and other remote services, as well as bringing the research closer to the patient.
An increasing number of trials were using virtual components before the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 lockdowns and social distancing measures caused significant disruption to clinical trials and accelerated the use of virtual trials. Companies that had not considered this model before had no option but to rapidly implement new technologies and procedures to maintain business continuity. Research shows that many companies will continue to use virtual trials after the pandemic. Over the past 18 months, many leading clinica..l research organizations (CROs) and eClinical software providers have expanded their capabilities in response to the growing demand for these services. Several specialist virtual trial providers have also emerged in recent years and attracted considerable attention during the pandemic.
An increasing number of trials were using virtual components before the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 lockdowns and social distancing measures caused significant disruption to clinical trials and accelerated the use of virtual trials. Companies that had not considered this model before had no option but to rapidly implement new technologies and procedures to maintain business continuity. Research shows that many companies will continue to use virtual trials after the pandemic. Over the past 18 months, many leading clinica..l research organizations (CROs) and eClinical software providers have expanded their capabilities in response to the growing demand for these services. Several specialist virtual trial providers have also emerged in recent years and attracted considerable attention during the pandemic.
Scope
- Key players in the virtual trial space: These include specialist virtual trial providers, CROs, eClinical solution providers, technology companies, contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs), logistics companies, and in-home care providers.
- Thematic briefing including a definition of virtual trials and the different technologies and processes used, such as eConsent, eCOA, telemedicine, direct-to-patient supply, and in-home care, as well as a review of the benefits and challenges to implementing these types of studies.
- Key trends impacting the virtual trial space. Industry trends include the impact of COVID-19 on clinical trials and digital transformation in pharma, rise of the virtual trials specialists and the evolution of CROs, positive impact of virtual trials on accrual rates, and increased focus on patient centricity in trials. Technology trends include the role of wearable technology, mHealth, telemedicine, cloud, 5G, blockchain, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence. Regulatory trends include the lack of regulatory frameworks for virtual trials, guidelines issues during COVID-19 to support continuation of clinical research, and the role of non-profit organizations such as the DTRA and CTTI in guiding companies to implement virtual trials. Macroeconomic trends including the increase seen in deals and jobs related to virtual trials since COVID-19.
- Value chain looking at certain aspects of virtual trials, including eConsent, eCOA, telemedicine, direct-to-patient supply, and in-home care.
- Industry analysis with a detailed analysis of virtual trials deals from the Clinical Trials database, as well comprehensive deals, jobs, and Influencer analyses. This section also includes case studies and survey and poll data.
- Profiles of private and public companies in the virtual trials space.
Reasons to Buy
- See who the leading players are in the virtual trials space by company type
- See how the competitive landscape is evolving, with a review of company activity including mergers and acquisitions (M&A), strategic partnerships and funding deals, as well as a jobs analysis.
- See what trends are driving the use of virtual trials, and also what challenges are impeding their uptake
- See which technologies and processes are being used to bring research closer to patients.
- Get a deep dive into clinical trial data, including the impact of COVID-19 on trials, the use of virtual components in trials over the past decade, and how virtual trials have improved trial accrual rates.
Table of Contents
- Executive Summary
- Players
- Thematic Briefing
- Trends
- Healthcare Trends
- Technology Trends
- Regulatory trends
- Macroeconomic Trends
- Value Chain
- eConsent
- Electronic Clinical Outcome Assessment
- Telemedicine
- In-Home Care
- Direct-to-Patient Supply
- Industry Analysis
- The Impact of COVID-19 on Clinical Trials
- Virtual Clinical Trials Analysis
- Impact of Virtual Trials on Trial Accrual Rates
- Survey Data on the Adoption of Virtual Trials
- Deals Analysis
- Mergers and Acquisitions
- Strategic Partnerships
- Funding Deals
- Jobs Analysis
- Case Studies
- The First Virtual Trial, Pfizer’s REMOTE, Was Terminated Due to Low Accrual Rates
- Specialist Vendor Science 37 Is Pioneering the Virtual Trials Space
- PPD Has Partnered with Specialists to Become a Leading Provider of Virtual Trials During the Pandemic
- LEO Innovation Lab Spin-Off Studies&Me Launches as a Virtual CRO With a Focus in Dermatology
- J&J Goes Virtual in Cardiology with its Heartline and CHIEF-HF Trials
- Timeline
- Healthcare Industry Polls
- Social Media Influencers
- Companies
- Public Companies
- Private Companies
- Appendix
- Abbreviations
- Further Reading
- Related Reports
- Bibliography
- About the Authors
- Our Thematic Research Methodology
- About the Publisher
- Contact the Publisher
List of TablesTable 1: Healthcare Trends in the Virtual Trials Space
Table 2: Technology Trends in the Virtual Trials Space
Table 3: Regulatory Trends in the Virtual Trials Space
Table 4: Macroeconomic Trends in the Virtual Trials Space
Table 5: Examples of Virtual Trials by Pharmaceutical Companies
Table 6: M&As in the Virtual Trials Space, 2018-2021
Table 7: Examples of Strategic Partnerships in the Virtual Trials Space
Table 8: Examples of Funding Deals in the Virtual Trials Space
Table 9: Examples of Public Companies in the Virtual Trials Space
Table 10: Examples of Private Companies in the Virtual Trials Space
List of FiguresFigure 1: Who Are the Leading Players in the Virtual Trials Space?
Figure 2: Benefits of Virtual Trials
Figure 3: Challenges of Virtual Trials
Figure 4: Virtual Clinical Trials Value Chain
Figure 5: Examples of Virtual Trial Components Provided by Different Provider Types
Figure 6: Examples of eConsent Providers
Figure 7: Examples of eCOA Providers
Figure 8: Examples of Providers with Telemedicine Capabilities
Figure 9: Examples of In-Home Care Providers
Figure 10: Examples of Direct-to-Patient Supply Providers
Figure 11: Ongoing Disruption of Clinical Trial Activity Due to COVID-19
Figure 12: COVID-19 Will Continue to Impact Drug Development Activities in 2021
Figure 13: The Proportion of Trials Utilizing Virtual or Digital Components Has Increased Steadily Since 2004
Figure 14: eDiary Is the Most Common Type of Virtual or Digital Component Used in Trials
Figure 15: Metabolic Disorders Is the Leading Therapy Area for Trials Utilizing Virtual or Digital Components
Figure 16: Breakdown of Trials by Phase and Geography
Figure 17: Top 20 Sponsors of Trials with Virtual or Digital Components
Figure 18: Reasons for Clinical Trial Suspension or Termination, 2011-2021
Figure 19: Proportion of Trials Impacted by Low Accrual Has Decreased Over the Past 10 Years
Figure 20: Trials for Rare Cancers are Most Impacted by Low Accrual Rates
Figure 21: Clinical Trial Disruption Was a Primary Business Concern for the Industry in June 2020
Figure 22: Addressing Clinical Trial Disruptions Related to the COVID-19 Outbreak
Figure 23: COVID-19 Accelerated Use of Virtual Trials
Figure 24: Respondents Expect Virtual Trials to Be Used Frequently Within 1-2 Years
Figure 25: The Number of Deals in the Virtual Trials Space Has Increased Over the Past 12 Months
Figure 26: Partnerships Involving Specialist Virtual Trial Vendors, Most Common Since 2018
Figure 27: Specialist Virtual Trial Vendors Have Received the Most VC Funding Since 2018
Figure 28: Numbers of Posted Jobs Related to Virtual Trials Has Increased Since 2019
Figure 29: Jobs Related to eClinical Technologies Are More Common
Figure 30: Jobs That Mention Virtual or Decentralized Trials Have Increased Since Q1 2020
Figure 31: Virtual Trial Jobs by Geography
Figure 32: Top 20 Companies Posting Jobs Relating to Virtual Trials, 2019-2021
Figure 33: The Apple Heartline Mobile Application
Figure 34: The Virtual Trials Timeline
Figure 35: Therapy Areas Most Suitable for Use of Digital Health Technologies in Clinical Trials
Figure 36: Digital Measures with the Most Potential for Immediate Use in Clinical Trials
Figure 37: Main Benefits of Using Digital Health Technologies in Clinical Trials
Figure 38: Main Barriers to Using Digital Technologies in Clinical Trials
Figure 39: Impact of Digital Health Technologies in Clinical Trials Over the Next Five Years
Figure 40: Clinical Trial Trends in the Publisher’s Digital Pharma Influencer Database, January 2020 to April 2021
Figure 41: Examples of Top Posts Related to Virtual Trials, 2020-2021
Figure 42: Our Five-Step Approach for Generating a Sector Scorecard
Companies Mentioned (Partial List)
A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes, but is not limited to:
- Medable
- Science 37
- THREAD
- ObvioHealth
- Studies&Me
- Lightship
- Parexel
- Pharmaceutical Product Development (PPD)
- Covance
- ICON
- Syneos Health
- UBC
- Medidata
- ERT
- Signant Health
- Medrio
- Castor
- Cloudbyz
- TrialSpark
- uMotif
- AiCure
- snapIoT
- IBM
- Veeva
- DHL
- World Courier
- Marken
- Yourway
- Illingworth Research
- Lash Group
- Medical Research Network
