Back to Archived Journals » Vaccine: Development and Therapy » Volume 3

Key feasibility considerations when conducting vaccine clinical trials in Asia–Pacific countries

Authors Lansang E, Tan K, Nayak S, Lee K, Wai K

Received 20 December 2012

Accepted for publication 31 January 2013

Published 19 March 2013 Volume 2013:3 Pages 1—9

DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/VDT.S41903

Checked for plagiarism Yes

Review by Single anonymous peer review

Peer reviewer comments 4



Video abstract presented by Elvira Zenaida Lansang

Views: 352

Elvira Zenaida Lansang,1 Kenneth Tan,2 Saumya Nayak,1 Ken J Lee,1 Karen Wai1

1Feasibility and Site Identification – Asia, Quintiles East Asia Pte Ltd, Singapore; 2National University of Singapore, Singapore

Introduction: Conducting clinical trial feasibility is an important first step in initiating a clinical trial. A robust feasibility process ensures that a realistic capability assessment is made before conducting a trial. A retrospective analysis of vaccine clinical trials was performed to understand changes which could affect feasibility recommendations.
Methods: Feasibilities conducted by Quintiles between January 2011 and August 2012 were reviewed. Vaccine studies only involving Asia–Pacific countries were selected, and common study parameters were identified. Information from Quintiles’ database was retrieved to examine changes in parameters over time.
Results: A total of six vaccine studies were identified within the 1.7-year period. Two studies were excluded because they did not contain feasibility information or had involved sites that were sponsor selected. Four studies were analyzed. Three cases required healthy volunteers, while one case involved a specific patient population. Age requirement and seasonality of disease mainly influenced recommendations for Study 1. Sponsor’s marketing strategy influenced the recommendations for Study 2. Study 3 showed the effect of a country’s immunization program and reimbursement of vaccines on a study’s success. In contrast to the other studies, Study 4 demonstrated the impact of eligibility criteria in recruitment recommendations for a vaccine trial requiring specific patient pools.
Conclusion: Feasibility recommendations for vaccine trials are largely based on (1) eligibility criteria; (2) cultural beliefs; (3) country’s past recruitment performance; (4) use of advertising; (5) site’s access to subject populations; (6) cooperation with local health professionals and government; (7) sponsor’s marketing strategies; (8) study design concordance with national immunization programs; (9) reimbursement of vaccines; (10) overall benefit of the vaccine to the population; and where applicable, (11) seasonality of the disease under study.

Keywords: volunteers, recruitment, influenza, meningococcal, diphtheria, herpes zoster

Creative Commons License © 2013 The Author(s). This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License. By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.