Patient Recruitment for Dermatology Clinical Trials: Understanding Patient Perspectives
Skin conditions are estimated to affect nearly two billion individuals worldwide at any point in time. In the next 12 months, over 80 Dermatology clinical trials will begin, and there are hundreds more that are already recruiting participants.
Clinical research plays a crucial part in understanding and approving treatment options for conditions across the therapeutic area. The patient profile is variable based on age, gender, ethnicity, genetics, lifestyle factors, medical history, environmental factors, psychological factors.
There are six indications that are that make up over 60% of the planned trial starts and 55% of the trials already recruiting patients: Atopic Dermatitis, Chronic Urticaria (Hives), Acne, Alopecia, Hidradenitis Suppurativa, and Psoriasis.
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common, chronically relapsing skin condition that affects individuals of all ages in 2.4% of the global population, but its prevalence varies greatly among countries. It is more common in developed countries and urban areas. Approximately 60% of AD cases develop within the first year of life, and up to 20% of children and 10% of adults are impacted.
Chronic urticaria can affect individuals of all ages, races, and genders, and it is estimated to impact approximately 0.5% to 1% of the population. Women are affected more frequently than men, with a female-to-male ratio of approximately 2:1.
In the US, acne affects close to 50 million people annually, and approximately 85% of adolescents worldwide are impacted by acne and acne-related conditions. Acne vulgaris is most common during adolescence and early adulthood and impacts individuals across all races and ethnicities. While peak prevalence occurs between 12 and 24 years of age and acne tends to decrease with age, over 25% of women and 12% of men in their 40s report having acne. Both male and female adolescents are impacted; however, the severity and pattern of distribution may differ between sexes.
Androgenic alopecia (AGA) affects both men and women, but it is more common and typically more severe in men, and its prevalence increases with age. By age 50, nearly 50% of men and 25% of women will experience some degree of hair loss, and it is more common amongst those of Caucasian descent.
Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS), a chronic inflammatory skin condition, varies in prevalence worldwide. In the United States, it affects approximately 1-4% of the population. Globally, prevalence rates range from 0.1% to 4%, demonstrating its significant impact across diverse regions and populations. HS typically starts in young adults, peaking in an individual’s 20s and 30s. It disproportionately affects women, with a female-to-male ratio ranging from 2:1 to 5:1. Prevalence also varies among ethnic groups, with higher rates observed in individuals of African descent.
Psoriasis, a chronic autoimmune skin condition, impacts a significant number of individuals worldwide. In the United States alone, approximately 7.5 million people are affected . Globally, the condition affects an estimated 2-3% of the population. Psoriasis can manifest at any age, but it most commonly appears between 15 and 35 years old. It affects both men and women equally, showing no substantial gender preference. Prevalence rates vary across ethnic groups, with higher incidences observed among Caucasians compared to other racial and ethnic populations.
While most individuals will seek treatment (when they have access to appropriate medical care) for dermatological conditions, they are likely to express hesitation in seeking care outside of their current or the standard treatment pathways.
Individuals seeking care for almost all skin-related conditions will begin with their Primary Care Physician. If they’re already under the care of a Dermatologist, they are likely to begin there. The treatment of the condition varies greatly based on the condition itself, but typically involves oral or topical medication.
Patients might, however, express interest in clinical trials because the current treatment options are no longer addressing their existing concerns, or they are not effective in treating newer dermatological conditions, like Hidradenitis Suppurativa or Chronic Urticaria.
For many dermatological conditions, individuals may try over-the-counter topicals or explore natural remedies like changing their diet, addressing (where possible) environmental contributors, and/or putting measures into place to address their existing environmental and climate constraints.
Finding potential Dermatology clinical trial participants can be challenging, but Direct-to-Patient Advertising as a recruitment approach is powerful in this population.
The conditions reviewed in this brief have been searched, on average, 500,000 times per month for the last year. Potential patients are often turning first to online sources and reacting to influencers for information and education about their diagnosed or suspected condition as well as side effect management for their existing treatment.
With that activity, an online profile begins to evolve, and by using sophisticated targeting and screening algorithms, Sponsors can put information about clinical research directly in front of people who are already seeking information outside of the traditional physician-led approach.
Direct-to-patient recruitment builds awareness and empowers patients (or their caregivers) to seek best-fit solutions for the condition.
AutoCruitment has completed Dermatology Studies in the last 5 years
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AutoCruitment helps life sciences companies accelerate patient recruitment.
AutoCruitment’s technology-backed, full service, global, direct to patient digital advertising approach targets, recruits, and screens more of the right patients quickly to eliminate the patient recruitment bottleneck. The full clinical trial recruitment and enrollment process is seamless with AutoCruitment’s dedicated Project Management and Site & Patient Engagement teams, transparent, real-time reporting, and a secure user-friendly Patient Management Portal.
AutoCruitment’s patient recruitment platform supports Sponsors, CRO Partners and Research Sites by decreasing time, risk and cost to bring new therapies to market.
