Synergistic Strategies to Accelerate the Development of Function-Promoting Therapies: Lessons from Operation Warp Speed and Oncology Drug Development

Abstract

Background: Functional limitations and physical disabilities associated with aging and chronic disease are major concerns for human societies and expeditious development of function-promoting therapies is a public health priority. Methods: Expert panel discussion. Results: The remarkable success of Operation Warp Speed for the rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines, COVID-19 therapeutics, and of oncology drug development programs over the past decade have taught us that complex public health problems such as the development of function-promoting therapies will require collaboration among many stakeholders, including academic investigators, the National Institutes of Health, professional societies, patients and patient advocacy organizations, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Conclusions: There was agreement that the success of well designed, adequately powered clinical trials will require careful definitions of indication/s, study population, and patient-important endpoints that can be reliably measured using validated instruments, commensurate resource allocation, and versatile organizational structures such as those used in Operation Warp Speed.