BioCentury
ARTICLE | Product Development

U.K. sets the bar for COVID-19 master protocols

The world needs to prioritize master protocols for COVID-19 and the U.K. is leading the charge

May 2, 2020 4:51 AM UTC

Master protocol trials have emerged as the fastest path to definitive answers on candidate therapies and vaccines for COVID-19, but in most regions these trials are not getting prioritized over individual clinical studies. The rest of the world can learn from the U.K.’s example of how to coordinate and promote master protocols.

The U.K. government is doing much more than funding adaptive master protocols trials for COVID-19. It has designated a trio of such trials a national priority, and has stepped in to ensure the trials cover different stages of the disease and have the all resources they need to be successful, funneling patients, therapies and trial sites into setting them up for success...