A coalition of leading infectious disease and cancer experts is urging for the creation of a clinical trials network to evaluate the safety and efficacy of existing and new therapies for immunocompromised people, a growing population that is at increased risk for infectious diseases.
“Immunocompromised patients are often excluded from clinical trials for new therapies to treat and prevent infections, which means we lack critical data to guide their care,” said Josh Hill, MD
, associate professor (Allergy and Infectious Diseases) and physician-researcher at Fred Hutch Cancer Center, who together with Michael Boeckh, MD, PhD
, and Steve Pergam, MD, MPH
, is leading the effort to create the clinical trials network. “This network would fill a major gap in our research infrastructure and ensure clinicians can provide the best care possible to immunocompromised patients.”
A shared vision for creating the proposed clinical trials network, published in JAMA Network Open
, follows an interdisciplinary meeting held on September 10, 2024, in Bethesda, Maryland, where researchers, patient advocates, clinicians, government and industry leaders convened to address the urgent need for targeted clinical research.
The meeting identified key gaps and opportunities in the current research landscape and laid the groundwork for a coordinated national effort to address the needs of these complex immunocompromised patient populations.
