Fixing your own house first: Academic centers on FIH trials

Academic medical centers have much to gain from an expedited path to first-in-human data, but need not be passive bystanders waiting for the fix. There are a series of decisions and policies under their own control, and acting on those, both within and across institutions, would yield significant payoffs in shortening timelines for starting clinical trials.

Everyone involved in industry-sponsored clinical trials — from clinical investigators to company scientists, hospital administrators, and leadership — complains about the burdensome processes and lengthy start-up times. Yet medical centers have made no concerted effort to address the problem collectively...