Translation Plays Critical Role In Global Clinical Trials (podcast)

As the pharmaceutical industry pursues multi-geography clinical trials, translation has become a critical step, and a potential roadblock, in the process. Why does translation matter in the clinical trials process? There is no shortage of information available on why pharmaceutical companies and clinical research organizations (CROs) are running global clinical trials:

• Regulators are demanding larger and larger population pools, longer term monitoring, and more trials.
• Access to large drug-naïve populations, lower operating costs of running the trials, and the ability to rapidly recruit suitable participants are pushing these boundaries farther and farther across the globe into the so-called ascending markets of Eastern Europe, Asia, and Latin America. According to Thomson Center Watch, 20 to 30 percent of clinical trials are being conducted in ascending regions.
• Pharmaceutical companies are using this as an opportunity to build relationships with key physicians and clinicians in these regions as they are in the best position to ultimately promote and prescribe the drug undergoing the trial when it comes to market.

However, the decision to run global clinical trials places significant stress on the entire clinical trial process:

• While overall costs may be lower, it is important to address how you will communicate with all of the participants in the trial.
• Virtually all of the materials involved in the clinical trial may need to be translated into the target languages of the trial population.
• And once the trial is underway, the patient diaries and other in-country trial materials may need to be translated back into the source language to ensure accurate, clean data collection and analysis.

Learn more about translation in clinical trials in this Future Pharmaceuticals "Ask the Expert" podcast.