Low patient accrual has historically been the primary cause of trial delays, suspensions, or terminations. This highlights the significant challenges in the recruitment of clinical trial subjects in a pre-pandemic world.
It is therefore unsurprising that during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, an excess of 500 companies have announced that they have delayed initiation, suspended recruitment, or terminated clinical trials. When these trials resume, it is highly probable that potential trial subjects will have a heightened sense of anxiety regarding COVID-19 and therefore may have reservations about participating in clinical trials.