Project Pragmatica: US FDA’s OCE Initiative Aims To Encourage Simple Clinical Trials

OCE Director Richard Pazdur says idea for the latest initiative stemmed from a clinical trial in lung cancer that he thought only needed to measure the impact on overall survival.

Richard Pazdur and Robert Califf at the Friends of Cancer Research Annual Meeting
FDA Commissioner Robert Califf interviewed OCE Director Richard Pazdur during the Friends of Cancer Research Annual Meeting. • Source: Derrick Gingery

Richard Pazdur likely did not surprise anyone when he complained to Friends of Cancer Research Annual Meeting attendees that oncology clinical trials are too complicated. But the director of the US Food and Drug Administration’s Oncology Center of Excellence got a few laughs when he announced his solution.

“Well of course we have to launch another project,” Pazdur said.

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