Australia needs a prioritised national research strategy for clinical trials in a pandemic: lessons learned from COVID-19

The emergence of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), sparking a global pandemic, has driven an imperative to quickly design and conduct treatment studies. We strongly propose a national, coordinated approach for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), future pandemics and inter-pandemic periods in Australia.

Citation:
Bowen AC, Tong SYC, Davis JS. Australia needs a prioritised national research strategy for clinical trials in a pandemic: lessons learned from COVID-19. Med J Aust. 2021.

Keywords:
COVID-19; Clinical trials as topic; Infectious diseases; Public health; Respiratory tract infections

Abstract:
The emergence of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), sparking a global pandemic, has driven an imperative to quickly design and conduct treatment studies. We strongly propose a national, coordinated approach for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), future pandemics and inter-pandemic periods in Australia.