The US West Coast has some of the most diverse oncology clinical trials in global healthcare, according to GlobalData’s Pharma Intelligence Centre.

Presenting data at a session during the Clinical Trials In Oncology West Coast 2024 in San Francisco held from 23 April to 24 April, GlobalData analyst Sonnika Lamont demonstrated how the three states along the Western Seaboard lead the scene.

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The number of oncology trials in the West Coast has increased by 67% in the past 20 years, with rare disease oncology trials increasing by 169% during the same time.

California leads the way in the region, ranking first globally for diversity within oncology clinical trials. This includes coming first globally for decentralised/virtual trials.

“California is doing well at adopting more patient-centric approaches,” said Lamont.

Patient centricity was a key theme at Clinical Trials In Oncology West Coast 2024. Many speakers noted that whilst the industry was reaching better levels of patient engagement and enhanced patient experience during trials, there is still work to do.

Patient recruitment in oncology trials remains a major issue and is one of the main reasons for study termination.  

The West Coast is seemingly doing better on the patient enrolment front compared to US national averages.

California, Washington and Oregon all have higher enrolment parameters compared to the rest of the country. This includes the actual number of patients enrolled in a study, along with the enrolment period and trial duration. West Coast states, according to GlobalData, successfully recruit at least three times the number of sites compared to the US trial average.

One explanation for better rates of accrual in the region could be how sites are chosen and conducted.

Using acute myeloid leukaemia as a case study, data shows the mean number of sites between completed and terminated global trials is similar. According to Lamont, this could demonstrate a disparity in the quality of sites.

Along with the increasing rates of adaptive design, single-ascending and multiple-ascending dose studies, and master protocol use such as umbrella and basket design, Lamont said data shows the West Coast trial landscape is complex while remaining agile.

 “We are seeing increasing complexity in oncology trials in the West Coast, being more experimental and diverting from more traditional study designs.”