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. 2024 Apr 25;25(1):278.
doi: 10.1186/s13063-024-08126-5.

Coordination of COVID-19 platform trials in Europe

Affiliations

Coordination of COVID-19 platform trials in Europe

Jacques Demotes et al. Trials. .

Abstract

To ensure optimal coordination of the EU-funded COVID-19 platform trials, a double coordination mechanism was established. It included the Trial Coordination Board (TCB) to promote the dialogue between investigators and relevant public health stakeholders and the Joint Access Advisory Mechanism (JAAM) to streamline access of new intervention arms to the platform trials. Both the TCB and the JAAM emerged as efficient instruments to promote cooperation and optimise the use of resources within EU-funded adaptive platform trials. In addition, an adaptive platform trial toolbox was developed to collect information and literature on challenges and solutions identified to date. The recently funded 'Coordination MEchanism for Cohorts and Trials' (CoMeCT) project will endeavour to make this model sustainable, with a further expansion to other emerging infectious diseases, as part of the governance of the current and future platform trials for pandemic preparedness. This example could serve as a model for platform trial coordination in other disease areas.

Keywords: Adaptive platform trial; COVID-19; Coordination mechanism.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The trial coordination board (TCB) promotes cooperation between the platform trials (both EU-funded or not EU-funded) and establishes a dialogue with policymakers, while the Joint Access Advisory Mechanism (JAAM) acts as an access board conducting independent assessment of the public health value of individual intervention arms and making recommendations on the most suitable EU-funded platform trial to test a drug candidate

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