Accelerating patient recruitment in clinical trials post COVID-19

In order to keep competitive, pharma firms and their partners must keep current with the latest developments in drug delivery.

Formulators modify the release profiles of drugs for multiple reasons: to target delivery of the API, enhance bioavailability, provide dosage convenience, improve patient adherence, and extend the patentable life cycle of an existing drug.Whether the desired profile is for immediate or modified release, formulators must overcome the development hurdles of poorly soluble APIs. Modified-release drugs may require more excipients and more complex formulations and manufacturing steps, resulting in longer, and more expensive, development processes. Proven formulation methods and careful excipient selection, however, can be employed to develop formulations for modified release drugs that offer value to the patient.

With the increase and complexity of the global supply chain, both the pharmaceutical cold chain and temperature-controlled shipping for the food and beverage industry have seen substantial growth over the last few years. It is no coincidence that the food industry is now beginning to look to the pharmaceutical supply chain for guidance on best practices, as the need for stricter standardization and controls has emerged.

Osteosarcoma is the most common type of primary bone cancer affecting adolescents and children attributed to rapid bone growth and turnover with a peak incidence at 18 years old. it is a rare incurable and often fatal disease. The current osteosarcoma treatments include standard chemotherapy, limb salvage surgery or amputation. The 5-year relative survival rate is 70% for localized forms, however, metastasis is present in about one fifth to one-quarter of patients at diagnosis, which then contributes to a 5-year survival rate of around 20%. The survival statistics have remained constant with no advances in treatment options for decades highlighting the need for new therapeutic options.