Unlike their counterparts in the US, most Latin American clinical trial investigators surveyed said it is very important the sponsoring pharma runs the study. Furthermore, for around half having a large, multinational pharma sponsor, with respected drugs on the market, is very important.
“I like working with a respected pharmaceutical company because I can get my medical questions answered more fully”, a Latin America-based investigator said in a survey, results of which were published in the journal Pharmaceutical Medicine.
The findings contrast with an earlier survey of US-based clinical trial investigators. Less than one-fifth of US respondents said it was very important the sponsoring pharma company runs day-to-day trial operations.
A preference for working with pharma sponsors as opposed to contract research organisations (CRO) creates a problem for biopharmaceutical companies that outsource to overcome a lack of local knowledge.
Overcoming shortcomings
For biotech the problem could be especially acute. Respondents emphasised the importance of working with large pharma and companies that have trusted products on the market, neither of which category includes emerging biotechs.
“Small pharmaceutical companies, less well known in Latin America, will face greater challenges in recruiting patients to their studies”, write the authors. For these companies the recognition benefits of working with a well-known local or global CRO will likely outweigh the perceived downside.
A number of other elements, rated as more important in Latin American than the US, can be tapped by sponsors to motivate investigators. In particular, Latin American investigators value opportunities to interact and share with other physicians involved with the trial.
“Pharmaceutical companies and CROs may increase a sense of partnership with sites, if the organisation managing the clinical trials maximises the level of opportunity for Latin American investigators to learn from, and share with, other relevant physicians”, the report concludes.