Evidence produced by clinical trial is the main basis for health care decision-making at all levels. In recent years, some problems been revealed in the national data audit of new drug clinical trials have sounded the alarm for the quality of clinical research in China. In addition to strengthening the implementation of clinical trial process management and supervision, we call attention to the coherence and consistency of trial design and implementation, including the promotion of clinical trial design in the agenda of improving the quality of the trials and putting forward reasonable suggestions. We hope that our work could make research ideas clear from the source of a clinical trial, with a view to avoid violating protocol behavior and provide standardized recommendations for improving the quality of clinical trials in China.
Clinical trials are the most reliable means for scientifically rigorous evaluation of the efficacy and safety of drugs, and are the most crucial part receiving the most investment in development and innovation in the pharmaceutical industry. In recent years, the nation has formulated a set of policies and guiding principles to encourage pharmaceutical innovation, promote the independent innovation of China’s pharmaceutical industry and enhance clinical trial capacity. To further improve Chinese researchers’ ability to perform clinical trials, the National Clinical Research Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and the National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases invited a multi-disciplinary team of experts from various areas including clinical trial methodology and supervision to work on this consensus. In view of the common concern and puzzles regarding the issues in clinical trials, such as recruitment and retention of participants, outcome selection, quality control, information technology application, and ethics in data security, the expert consensus is based on domestic and international guidelines, the latest advancement of clinical research, and the advice and opinions from national experts. It aims to provide reference information and guidance for clinical trial researchers, and serves as a reference for relevant authorities to formulate clinical trial management policies.
The modern clinical research evaluation systems have increasingly emphasized the evaluation of individual patients' clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment plans, and complex intervention measures. Traditional randomized controlled trials evaluate fixed interventions and non-adaptive treatment plans, which cannot meet the needs of evaluating adaptive interventions. This has made researchers more inclined to explore an individualized and adaptive clinical trial design, and sequential multiple assignment randomized trial (SMART) has emerged as needed. This article introduces the principles, key elements, and implementation points of SMART design, further explores the limitations of the mismatch between traditional Chinese medicine clinical trial design and syndrome differentiation treatment, and proposes that SMART design can meet the needs of traditional Chinese medicine clinical trials to inspire researchers in designing their plans.
In recent years, investment in new drug development in China has surged; however, challenges such as difficulties in efficacy validation, high failure rates, and lengthy, costly clinical trials have been faced. The traditional model is insufficient for addressing these issues, necessitating innovation. Adaptive design (AD), particularly sequential multiple assignment randomized trials (SMART), has emerged as a flexible and efficient new pathway for drug development. This study focused on the two-stage design of SMART, analyzed its principles, and contrasted it with randomized controlled trials, group sequential designs, and crossover designs. The advantages of SMART are highlighted in terms of its precision in evaluating treatment strategies, minimizing sample waste, and enhancing the exploration of complex treatment pathways. Through case analyses, we demonstrated that SMART significantly improved clinical trial efficiency and the quality of treatment decisions, representing an innovative solution to the challenges of new drug development. This study aims to provide strategic references for clinical researchers and promote the adoption of adaptive designs in China, facilitating the efficient advancement of new drug development.