Public-private partnerships influencing the initiation and duration of clinical trials for neglected tropical diseases.

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are often studied as an organizational form that facilitates the management and control of the huge costs of drug research and development. Especially the later stages of drug development, including clinical trials, become very expensive. This present study investigates whether and how the type of PPPs influences the initiation and duration of NTD clinical trials. Using the ClinicalTrials.gov database, a dataset of 1175 NTD clinical studies that started between 2000 and 2021 is analyzed based on affiliation information and project duration. For the NTD clinical trials that resulted from PPPs, the collaborating types were determined and analyzed, including the public sector-, private sector-, governmental sector-, and nongovernmental organization-led collaborations. The determinants for the discontinuation of all stopped clinical trials were categorized into scientific-, funding-, political-, and logistic dimensions. The results reveal that public sector-led PPPs were the most common collaborative types, and logistic and scientific issues were the most frequent determinants of stopped clinical trials. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov. Author summary: In the present study, we focused on understanding the development of collaborative clinical trials for neglected tropical diseases that affect hundreds of millions of people each year. These diseases, largely prevalent in tropical regions, lead to huge economic and societal burdens. The current status of drug development in this field is caused and exacerbated by a combination of diverse political, market, and scientific factors. Our goal was to highlight the crucial role of collaborations between public entities and private organizations in initiating and promoting clinical trials for these neglected diseases. Our results show that public sector and nongovernmental organization-led collaborations were the most prevalent between 2000 and 2021. Logistic and scientific issues are the most frequent reasons for failures in this clinical trial dataset. In conclusion, our study paints an overview picture of the collaborative clinical trials against neglected tropical diseases. The results highlight the power of collaboration and innovation in addressing this kind of health need. We aspire that our insights will spark more conversations and initiatives aimed at providing equal healthcare opportunities for everyone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]