Patient recruitment contributes to delays in biotechnology timelines

According to the Courier Mail in Australia, patient recruitment is one of the factors that causes biotechnology companies to run months, sometimes even years, behind on their time lines. The article suggests that a shortage of patients may be caused by the numerous competitive drugs in development.

Although running on time is a difficult thing to do, Graeme Wald, an analyst at Wilson HTM, said the smaller the trial, the lest likely there was to be a great time delay. Companies must follow ethics boards, work with doctors and find individuals that fit their target patient group.

Other things causing delays in the time lines of clinical trials: competitors' lawsuits, management changes, funding constraints or arguments with regulators.