Improving patient experience in Japan with mobile clinical services to support a neuroscience clinical trial

A biotech company with a global Phase II amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) trial needed solutions to reduce the burden of their clinical trial for patients. Due to the challenges associated with ALS, any reduction in travel to investigator sites would be beneficial and could increase patient engagement, reduce the potential for dropout and even potentially accelerate enrollment in the trial. At the time the trial was being designed, it was uncommon to include in-home services for clinical trials in Japan; in fact, a recent survey there has shown that some participants, particularly elderly subjects, might be more apprehensive about bringing mobile clinicians into the home. Labcorp mobile clinical services (MCS) was able to offer regionally tailored solutions appropriate for this ALS study, including administration of investigational product subcutaneously via an ambulatory infusion pump, training patients and caregivers in trial procedures, and the collection of blood samples during the in-home visits.