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Sahan K, Wijesurendra R, Preiss D, Mafham M, Sheehan M. Towards an understanding of the ethics of electronic consent in clinical trials. Trials 2024; 25:545. [PMID: 39152507 PMCID: PMC11329992 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-024-08330-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/19/2024] Open
Abstract
There are good practical reasons to use electronic consent (e-consent) in randomised trials, especially when conducting large-scale clinical trials to answer population-level health research questions. However, determining ethical reasons for e-consent is not so clear and depends on a proper understanding of what e-consent means when used in clinical trials and its ethical significance. Here we focus on four features of ethical significance which give rise to a range of ethical considerations relating to e-consent and merit further focused ethics research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Sahan
- Ethox Centre, Oxford Population Health, University of Oxford, Big Data Institute, Old Road Campus, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7LF, UK
| | - Rohan Wijesurendra
- Clinical Trial Service Unit, Oxford Population Health, University of Oxford, Richard Doll Building, Old Road Campus, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7LF, UK
| | - David Preiss
- Clinical Trial Service Unit, Oxford Population Health, University of Oxford, Richard Doll Building, Old Road Campus, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7LF, UK
| | - Marion Mafham
- Clinical Trial Service Unit, Oxford Population Health, University of Oxford, Richard Doll Building, Old Road Campus, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7LF, UK
| | - Mark Sheehan
- Ethox Centre, Oxford Population Health, University of Oxford, Big Data Institute, Old Road Campus, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7LF, UK.
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Izem R, Zuber E, Daizadeh N, Bretz F, Sverdlov O, Edrich P, Branson J, Degtyarev E, Sfikas N, Hemmings R. Decentralized Clinical Trials: Scientific Considerations Through the Lens of the Estimand Framework. Ther Innov Regul Sci 2024; 58:495-504. [PMID: 38315407 DOI: 10.1007/s43441-024-00615-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
While industry and regulators' interest in decentralized clinical trials (DCTs) is long-standing, the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated and broadened the adoption and experience with these trials. The key idea in decentralization is bringing the clinical trial design, typically on-site, closer to the patient's experience (on-site or off-site). Thus, potential benefits of DCTs include reducing the burden of participation in trials, broadening access to a more diverse population, or using innovative endpoints collected off-site. This paper helps researchers to carefully evaluate the added value and the implications of DCTs beyond the operational aspects of their implementation. The proposed approach is to use the ICH E9(R1) estimand framework to guide the strategic decisions around each decentralization component. Furthermore, the framework can guide the process for clinical trialists to systematically consider the implications of decentralization, in turn, for each attribute of the estimand. We illustrate the use of this approach with a fully DCT case study and show that the proposed systematic process can uncover the scientific opportunities, assumptions, and potential risks associated with a possible use of decentralization components in the design of a trial. This process can also highlight the benefits of specifying estimand attributes in a granular way. Thus, we demonstrate that bringing a decentralization component into the design will not only impact estimators and estimation but can also correspond to addressing more granular questions, thereby uncovering new target estimands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rima Izem
- Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland.
| | | | - Nadia Daizadeh
- Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, East Hanover, NJ, USA
| | - Frank Bretz
- Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland
- Section for Medical Statistics, Center for Medical Statistics, Informatics, and Intelligent Systems, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Liguori S, Moretti A, Paoletta M, Gargiulo F, Barra G, Gimigliano F, Iolascon G. Bone involvement in the early stages of Parkinson's disease: a case-control study. J Int Med Res 2024; 52:3000605241237880. [PMID: 38518193 PMCID: PMC10960339 DOI: 10.1177/03000605241237880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the qualitative and quantitative alterations of bone tissue in patients with early-stage Parkinson's disease (PD) and to measure the associations between bone mineral density (BMD), trabecular bone score (TBS) and physical performance. METHODS This case-control study enrolled patients with early-stage PD and age-matched controls. BMDs for the left femoral neck (L-FN) and lumbar spine (LS) were measured. Bone microarchitecture for the LS was determined using TBS. Muscle performance was assessed using the short physical performance battery (SPPB). Patients and controls were stratified in two groups based on the SPPB score: a poor performance group (SPPB score ≤8) and high performance group (SPPB > 8). RESULTS This study included 26 patients: 13 in the PD group and 13 age-matched controls. The mean ± SD BMD results in the PD group were: L1-L4 BMD = 0.935 ± 0.183 g/cm2; L-FN BMD = 0.825 ± 0.037 g/cm2; with bone microarchitecture degraded in four patients and partially degraded in three patients. TBS was significantly different in the patients with PD stratified according to SPPB. Among the controls, there was a significant difference in body mass index between the two SPPB groups. CONCLUSION TBS might identify bone involvement earlier than BMD in the initial stages of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Liguori
- Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties and Dentistry, University of Campania ‘Luigi Vanvitelli’, Naples, Italy
| | - Antimo Moretti
- Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties and Dentistry, University of Campania ‘Luigi Vanvitelli’, Naples, Italy
| | - Marco Paoletta
- Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties and Dentistry, University of Campania ‘Luigi Vanvitelli’, Naples, Italy
| | - Fiorinda Gargiulo
- Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties and Dentistry, University of Campania ‘Luigi Vanvitelli’, Naples, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Barra
- Istituto di Diagnosi e Cura Hermitage Capodimonte, Naples, Italy
| | - Francesca Gimigliano
- Department of Mental and Physical Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Campania ‘Luigi Vanvitelli’, Naples, Italy
| | - Giovanni Iolascon
- Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties and Dentistry, University of Campania ‘Luigi Vanvitelli’, Naples, Italy
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Schootemeijer S, de Vries NM, Macklin EA, Roes KCB, Joosten H, Omberg L, Ascherio A, Schwarzschild MA, Bloem BR. The STEPWISE study: study protocol for a smartphone-based exercise solution for people with Parkinson's Disease (randomized controlled trial). BMC Neurol 2023; 23:323. [PMID: 37700241 PMCID: PMC10496249 DOI: 10.1186/s12883-023-03355-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exercise has various health benefits for people with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, implementing exercise into daily life and long-term adherence remain challenging. To increase a sustainable engagement with physical activity of people with PD, interventions that are motivating, accessible, and scalable are needed. We primarily aim to investigate whether a smartphone app (STEPWISE app) can increase physical activity (i.e., step count) in people with PD over one year. Our second aim is to investigate the potential effects of the intervention on physical fitness, and motor- and non-motor function. Our third aim is to explore whether there is a dose-response relationship between volume of physical activity and our secondary endpoints. METHODS STEPWISE is a double-blind, randomized controlled trial. We aim to include 452 Dutch people with PD who can walk independently (Hoehn & Yahr stages 1-3) and who do not take more than 7,000 steps per day prior to inclusion. Physical activity levels are measured as step counts on the participant's own smartphone and scaled as percentage of each participant's baseline. Participants are randomly assigned to an active control group with an increase of 5-20% (active controls) or any of the three intervention arms with increases of 25-100% (intermediate dose), 50-200% (large dose), or 100-400% (very large dose). The primary endpoint is change in step count as measured by the STEPWISE smartphone app from baseline to 52 weeks. For our primary aim, we will evaluate the between-group difference in average daily step count change from baseline to 52 weeks. For our second aim, measures of physical fitness, and motor- and non-motor function are included. For our third aim, we will associate 52-week changes in step count with 52-week changes in secondary outcomes. DISCUSSION This trial evaluates the potential of a smartphone-based intervention to increase activity levels in people with PD. We envision that motivational apps will increase adherence to physical activity recommendations and could permit conduct of remote clinical trials of exercise for people with PD or those at risk of PD. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT04848077; 19/04/2021. CLINICALTRIALS gov/ct2/show/NCT04848077.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Schootemeijer
- DisordersDonders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Neurology, Center of Expertise for Parkinson & Movement Disorders, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Nienke M de Vries
- DisordersDonders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Neurology, Center of Expertise for Parkinson & Movement Disorders, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Eric A Macklin
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kit C B Roes
- Department of Health Evidence, Section Biostatistics, Radboud University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, Nijmegen, 6500 HB, the Netherlands
| | - Hilde Joosten
- Department of Sports Medicine, Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Burgemeester Daleslaan 27, Nijmegen, 6532 CL, the Netherlands
| | | | - Alberto Ascherio
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael A Schwarzschild
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Mass General Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bastiaan R Bloem
- DisordersDonders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Neurology, Center of Expertise for Parkinson & Movement Disorders, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
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Gonzalez-Latapi P, Lo RY. Bone First or Brain First: "Picking at the Bones" of Parkinson's Disease. Mov Disord 2023; 38:1579-1581. [PMID: 37718269 DOI: 10.1002/mds.29567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Paulina Gonzalez-Latapi
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Raymond Y Lo
- Department of Neurology, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital and Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan
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McKee KE, Gilbert RM, Spigle WA, Tilley BC, Corcos DM. Inclusion of Non-English-Speaking Participants in Studies of Parkinson's Disease: A Call to Action. Mov Disord 2022; 37:1990-1995. [PMID: 35929651 PMCID: PMC9588513 DOI: 10.1002/mds.29179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen E McKee
- Neurosciences Clinical Program, Intermountain Healthcare, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | | | | | - Barbara C Tilley
- Biostatistics and Data Science, University of Texas Health Science Center, School of Public Health, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Daniel M Corcos
- Departments of Physical Therapy & Human Movement Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The COVID-19 pandemic posed several challenges to cancer research including halting of trials, reduced recruitment and protocol violations related to inflexible processes followed in clinical trials. Researchers adopted innovative measures to mitigate these problems and continue studies without compromising their quality. This review collates these adaptations that could well continue after the pandemic. RECENT FINDINGS The COVID-19 pandemic forced researchers globally to adopt innovative measures to overcome the challenges of the pandemic. These included protocol amendments to adjust to the pandemic and travel restrictions, and increased use of digital technologies. 'Virtual' clinical trials were conducted increasingly with adaptations in ethics and regulatory approvals, patient recruitment and consenting, study interventions and delivery of study medications, trial assessments, and monitoring. Many of these adaptations are safe and feasible, without compromising study quality and data integrity. Although these may not be universally applicable in all types of research, they bring many benefits including more diverse patient participation, less burden on patients for study procedures and reduced resources to conduct trials. SUMMARY The COVID-19 pandemic has affected cancer research adversely; however, learnings from the pandemic and adaptations from researchers are likely to improve the efficiency of clinical research beyond the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - C.S. Pramesh
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Tata Memorial Centre, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, India
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Niotis K, West AB, Saunders-Pullman R. Who to Enroll in Parkinson Disease Prevention Trials? The Case for Genetically At-Risk Cohorts. Neurology 2022; 99:10-18. [PMID: 35970585 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000200812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Therapies that prevent the occurrence of Parkinson disease (PD) (primary prevention) or mitigate the progression of symptoms in those with early disease (secondary prevention) are a critical unmet need in disease management. Despite great promise, PD prevention trials have not yet demonstrated success. Initiation of treatment too late in the disease course and the heterogeneity of disease are obstacles that may have contributed to the failure. Genetically stratified groups offer many advantages to primary and secondary prevention trials. In addition to their ease of identification, they decrease disease heterogeneity on several levels. Particularly, they comprise a phenotypically and pathologically enriched group with defined clinical features, pathogenic mechanisms and associated proteins that may serve as specific trial endpoints, therapeutic targets and biomarkers for disease state, and pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic status. However, challenges arise from genetic variant heterogeneity, from reduced penetrance whereby many carriers will not develop PD, and in recruiting a population that will meet the desired outcome in the proposed study duration. In this review, we discussed the opportunities afforded by the enrollment of genetically stratified cohorts (i.e., leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 and glucocerebrosidase 1) into prevention trials with a primary focus on primary prevention trials. We also outlined challenges surrounding the enrollment of these cohorts and offered suggestions to leverage their many advantages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kellyann Niotis
- From the Department of Neurology (K.N., R.S.-P.), Mount Sinai Beth Israel Medical Center; Department of Neurology (K.N., R.S.-P.), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York; and Duke Center for Neurodegeneration Research (A.B.W.), Departments of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Neurology, and Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, NC
| | - Andrew B West
- From the Department of Neurology (K.N., R.S.-P.), Mount Sinai Beth Israel Medical Center; Department of Neurology (K.N., R.S.-P.), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York; and Duke Center for Neurodegeneration Research (A.B.W.), Departments of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Neurology, and Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, NC
| | - Rachel Saunders-Pullman
- From the Department of Neurology (K.N., R.S.-P.), Mount Sinai Beth Israel Medical Center; Department of Neurology (K.N., R.S.-P.), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York; and Duke Center for Neurodegeneration Research (A.B.W.), Departments of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Neurology, and Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, NC.
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McFarthing K, Rafaloff G, Baptista MAS, Wyse RK, Stott SRW. Parkinson's Disease Drug Therapies in the Clinical Trial Pipeline: 2021 Update. JOURNAL OF PARKINSONS DISEASE 2021; 11:891-903. [PMID: 34151864 PMCID: PMC8461678 DOI: 10.3233/jpd-219006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Background: Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been considerable activity in the clinical development of novel and improved drug-based therapies for the neurodegenerative condition of Parkinson’s disease (PD) during 2020. The agents that were investigated can be divided into “symptomatic” (alleviating the features of the condition) and “disease modifying” (attempting to address the underlying biology of PD) treatments, ST and DMT respectively, with further categorisation possible based on mechanism of action and class of therapy. Objective: Our goal in this report was to provide an overview of the pharmacological therapies –both ST and DMT - in clinical trials for PD during 2020–2021, with the aim of creating greater awareness and involvement in the clinical trial process. We also hope to stimulate collaboration amongst commercial and academic researchers as well as between the research and patient communities. Methods: We conducted a review of clinical trials of drug therapies for PD using trial data obtained from the ClinicalTrials.gov and World Health Organisation (WHO) registries, and performed a breakdown analysis of studies that were active as of February 18th 2021. We also assessed active drug development projects that had completed one clinical phase but were yet to start the next. Results: We identified 142 trials on ClinicalTrials.gov and 14 studies on the WHO registries that met our analysis criteria. Of these 156 trials, 91 were ST and 65 were DMT, Of the 145 trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov in our 2020 analysis, 45 fell off the list and 42 were added. Despite this change, the balance of ST to DMT; the distribution across phases; the profile of therapeutic categories; and the proportion of repurposed therapies (33.5%); all remained very similar. There are only two DMTs in phase 3, and we identified 33 in-between-phase projects. Conclusions: Despite the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, investment and effort in clinical trials for PD appears to remain strong. There has been little change in the profile of the clinical trial landscape even though, over the past year, there has been considerable change to the content of the list.
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