Clinical drug tests adapted for speed

摘要

When cancer researchers gathered in Washington DC for a major conference last week, much of the buzz was not about the results of clinical trials, but about a new way of doing them. Seeking to avoid slow clinical trials and their frequently disappointing results, pharmaceutical companies are increasingly turning to 'adaptive' trials. These are revamped midstream, on the basis of early data, to focus on the patients for whom the drug shows hints of promise.