Clinical Trials In Wartime: One Patient's Journey To Survival

By Anna Titkova, Kharkiv National Medical University, Pratia Clinic Ukraine

On February 24, 2022, Ukraine saw a seismic shift that affected every facet of life, including its clinical research landscape. The impact was stark: approximately 600 ongoing clinical trials in Ukraine came to an abrupt halt. The State Expert Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, responsible for regulating clinical research, received 132 notifications of early termination of trials. Of these, 108 were directly linked to the invasion, while 24 stemmed from financial, safety, or efficacy concerns.

Additionally, 223 letters arrived from sponsors and contract research organizations (CROs) detailing plans to transfer clinical trial participants either to other Ukrainian sites still operational or to facilities in different countries. The majority of these trials focused on critical areas such as oncology, neurology, rheumatology, gastroenterology, and cardiology.

Amid this upheaval, the plight of individual patients underscores the human impact of these disruptions in clinical research.