Accelerating clinical trial patient recruitment and boosting patient retention is our speciality: we’ve contributed our expertise to hundreds of studies focusing on a huge range of conditions, and played a part in bringing more than 15 new treatments to market.
We’re proud of our history and our expertise, which has led to more patients getting access to life-changing treatments. It’s immensely rewarding to play a direct role in improving people’s health, helping them manage their condition better, giving them more control over their lives and time with their loved ones.
Our 1:1 In-country Recruitment Coaching & Site Support plays a key role in our success. We have patient recruitment experts operating in more than 70 countries who can provide specialised local knowledge to optimise patient recruitment strategies and keep trials moving forward.
One such study that benefitted from this service was a Phase III oncology clinical trial for patients with either stage IIIB or IV unresectable melanoma. The study involved 118 research sites across 25 countries, but the sponsor had never run an oncology study before and faced a series of barriers that made recruitment difficult. We were commissioned to provide in-country support to help sites overcome these challenges and boost screening and randomisation rates.
As the only clinical trial patient recruitment and retention company with in-country support in 70-plus countries, we are ideally placed to partner with sponsors on global studies.
Over a period of 24 months, sites that received our support vastly outperformed those that did not receive or opted out from our service. Results include:
- 72% increase in screening rate
- 45% increase in randomisation rate
By accelerating clinical trial patient recruitment, we unlock faster access to a potential treatment for patients, saving the sponsor time and money.
Melanoma incidence
Melanoma is estimated to be the 17th most common cancer globally1. It is a type of skin cancer that develops from cells called melanocytes. These cells are responsible for producing melanin, the pigment that determines the colour of your skin.
Melanoma is considered an aggressive cancer because it is more likely to spread to other parts of the body than other types of skin cancer, so early diagnosis and treatment is important.
About 337,969 people worldwide were diagnosed with melanoma in 2024 and almost 60,000 are thought to have died from the condition in that same year1. Based on current data, experts predict the number of new cases of melanoma per year will increase by 71% by 2050, to around 580,0002.
The study we supported is focused on a potential treatment for people diagnosed with stage IIIB or IV melanoma for whom surgery is not an option.
Study challenges
This Phase III melanoma clinical trial presented several challenges for successful and timely patient recruitment, such as:
- low prevalence of disease type
- rapid disease progression
- a 24-month treatment phase, which potentially means a significant ongoing commitment by patients who are typically very unwell
- physicians in countries with access to a similar (licensed) treatment, so would be less likely to see the benefit of referring their patients into the study
- a simultaneous crossover study investigating the same compound, which could result in study fatigue
- multiple contacts, such as the sponsor, medical monitors and Clinical Research Associates (CRAs) actively speaking to sites about recruitment, risking site fatigue
- many sites feeling demotivated, especially as a similar licensed treatment is already available in most countries involved in this study, making recruitment more difficult.
In-country support strategies
Due to the very specific nature of the enrolment criteria, and following feedback from research sites, it was clear that traditional media and digital campaigns would not be appropriate. We knew that building relationships through human connection would be the key to reaching and recruiting participants for this particular clinical trial.
With this in mind, we engaged our 1:1 in-country support to:
- provide a series of 1:1 coaching calls. This included appropriate scheduling to eliminate duplication of conversations with other contacts and minimise the risk of study fatigue in site staff
- review site-specific recruitment and retention plans and help develop them further
- support the optimisation and expansion of sites’ patient pathways
- run a series of three workshops for research staff to encourage global connection, foster motivation, discuss strategies and share learnings, practical tips and best practices. Each workshop covered different topics:
- Optimal placement of recruitment materials, hosting informational meetings, and patient considerations
- Setting goals and managing key relationships, including patients, carers and physicians
- Recruitment updates and evaluating screen failure data, patient insights, and referral colleague resources.
Our in-country support was commissioned for 118 sites in 25 countries across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Asia-Pacific (APAC), North America (NA) and Latin America (LATAM).
In each country, we used our network of local Clinical Enrolment Managers (CEMs) to oversee and manage all patient recruitment coaching and support activities. As the only clinical trial patient recruitment and retention company with in-country support in 70-plus countries, we can ensure localised support wherever your study is going ahead.
Our impact on clinical trial patient recruitment
Sites that received our in-country 1:1 support experienced greater clinical trial patient recruitment success than sites not supported by us. In LATAM, for example, the sites we supported brought in more than double the number of enrolled patients, on average, compared to sites that chose not to receive our support (3.6 vs. 1).
Likewise, sites that were committed to our support benefited from stronger screening and randomisation rates, on average. Interestingly, even sites that opted out of our support partway through reported greater success in screening and randomisation rates compared with those that did not receive any support at all.
Thanks to our 1:1 in-country support, more patients were able to enrol more quickly into this Phase III study, giving them faster access to a potential new treatment. It also means the clinical trial can proceed sooner than it would have done otherwise, saving the sponsor time and money.
Overall, sites told us they felt supported, connected to the broader study, and more motivated by our involvement. That’s the power of human connection. Most staff members found our three patient recruitment workshops useful and told us our 1:1 in-country support helped them consider new strategies and ideas for clinical trial patient recruitment. Of the sites that rated our support, we achieved 4.3/5.
What people say about our in-country support
“This study was a great example of collaboration and flexibility by Innovative Trials…”
“The gathering and reviewing of metrics and interpreting their application has contributed to making educated decisions. The willingness to work through new solutions and collaborate on execution has been effective and appreciated. The ability to think outside of the box, to adjust approaches and to shift perspectives mid-flight has been immensely well received. The generating of new content and delivering workshops has been outstanding - we are always impressed.”
Need help to supercharge your clinical trial patient recruitment? Contact us now to utilise our years of dedicated experience in accelerating patient enrolment for your clinical studies.
References
- Ervik, M., Laversanne, M., Lam, F., Colombet, M., Ferlay, J., Filho, A., & Bray, F. (2026). Global Cancer Observatory: Cancer Today (2024 estimates, version 1.0) [Report]. International Agency for Research on Cancer. https://gco.iarc.who.int/media/globocan/factsheets/cancers/16-melanoma-of-skin-fact-sheet.pdf
- Cancer tomorrow. (n.d.). https://gco.iarc.who.int/tomorrow/en/dataviz/isotype?cancers=16&single_unit=50000