Markey et al’s research, “Clinical Trials are Becoming More Complex: a Machine Learning Analysis of Data from Over 16,000 Trials," has sparked vital conversations regarding the complexity of clinical trials across various therapeutic areas. This study found that clinical trials, including those related to motor neurone disease (MND), have markedly increased in complexity over the years.
MND trials, akin to those in neurology/CNS, can be intricate due to numerous factors like endpoints and the inclusion-exclusion criteria. This makes forecasting the complexity and overall duration of MND trials a significant challenge for researchers and clinicians.
Fast Data Science’s Clinical Trial Risk Tool provides an innovative solution by leveraging the power of machine learning. This tool is capable of estimating the complexity of a motor neurone disease clinical trial just from the protocol text.
The tool uses a machine learning algorithm, similar to that used by Markey et al, to automatically assess various features typically found in a clinical trial. These include the number of endpoints, the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and more.
These features are then combined using regression analysis to compute a ‘Trial Complexity Score’. This score correlates with the overall trial duration, giving an estimation of the time it might take to complete a particular MND clinical trial.
This flagship tool by Fast Data Science not only helps researchers and clinicians create more streamlined and efficient trial designs for MND, but it also assists in risk management. Understanding the complexity of a trial upfront can help allocate resources better, improve timelines, and potentially enhance success rates.
In a world where clinical trials are becoming ever more complex, tools like the Clinical Trial Risk Tool are critical in understanding this complexity, managing it, and ultimately, improving the likelihood of getting much-needed treatments to those who need them most.
As the landscape of clinical trials continues to evolve, so too does the need for sophisticated tools to navigate it. The Clinical Trial Risk Tool is an essential instrument in the modern clinician’s toolbox, illuminating the path toward more effective and efficient clinical trials.
