No doubt you’ve heard much about Meltdown and Spectre, major security defects in the microprocessors that underpin nearly all of the world’s computers. Hackers, the world learned in early January, can exploit these defects to steal the entire memory contents of PCs, mobile devices, and the servers that make up cloud computing networks. That puts...
Fibromyalgia is a chronic, complex pain condition characterized by widespread pain and a diverse range of symptomatic manifestations, including fatigue, sleep disturbance, dyscognition, diminished physical functioning, and mood disturbances. To date, patient-reported outcomes remain the best method for characterizing the many facets of fibromyalgia. Patient-reported outcomes are gaining traction as a highly effective option for...
Concern over cybersecurity touches our lives in new ways almost daily. Today, there is growing concern over millions of people who use connected medical devices that use off-the-shelf software. Here are six things the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health wants you to know about the safety of networked medical devices: 1. Hacking of...
An effective team is critical to the success of any clinical study. And when your product is destined for a market valued at $4-16 billion—such as the AVR (transcatheter aortic valve replacement) and TMVR (transcatheter mitral valve replacement) markets—you want to ensure a particularly strong foundation for your study. You build that foundation with your...
Want to know how to build strong strategic sponsor-CRO partnerships? Commit to the three Ds: Start with a dialogue that establishes the project’s direction, ultimately making a difference in the relationship. In these relationships, a CRO must bring to the table the supplemental expertise a sponsor doesn’t know they don’t have, but needs for success. 1. Foster a Dialogue Bidirectional communication is probably the...
This is the fifteenth and final installment of our look at the increasingly high placebo response that is plaguing clinical trials in analgesia and psychiatry. Read the rest of the posts in the series here. As our Placebo Problem series draws to a close, we conclude by taking a brief look at three ethical issues...
This is the fourteenth installment of our look at the increasingly high placebo response that is plaguing clinical trials in analgesia and psychiatry. Read the rest of the posts in the series here. The term “placebo” first took hold in an unlikely place: funerals. Placebo, Latin for “I shall please” first came into use in...
This is the thirteenth installment of our look at the increasingly high placebo response that is plaguing clinical trials in analgesia and psychiatry. Read the rest of the posts in the series here. Until now, our Placebo Problem series has focused exclusively on the placebo response in adults. Today we turn to another population: kids....
Quality Agreements are an effective bridge to a successful future for companies in the drug development sector – putting one in place at the start of the business relationship can prevent problems later. Quality Agreements mitigate risk and increase collaboration between partners. These agreements define timelines and establish responsibility and accountability. They supplement contractual commitments....
This is the tenth installment of our look at the increasingly high placebo response that is plaguing clinical trials in analgesia and psychiatry. Catch up on the other posts in the series here. Over the last two weeks we’ve discussed several specific strategies to reduce the placebo response. One effort that is becoming increasingly popular...