[co-author: Martika Harper, MS.]
The COVID-19 pandemic has had an immense impact on clinical trials in the US. Many clinical trials have been suspended or stopped due to the demands of the pandemic. Not only does interruption of these trials leave participants at a standstill with treatment, but it also negatively impacts other stakeholders like sponsors and researchers. The pandemic has put a damper on research funding as well as treatment options for at-risk participants. Many researchers and institutions have been impacted in three main areas: financial losses, having to redirect research focus, and adapting to a new clinical trial process.