Mitigating Financial Toxicity for Participants in Clinical Trials: Best Practice Considerations & Recommendations for Sponsors

Webinar

Presented on: December 9, 2025

Hosted by the MRCT Center, in collaboration with Equitable Access to Clinical Trials (EACT), a project convened by LUNGevity Foundation.

Clinical trials are vital to advancing medical knowledge and care, yet participation can impose significant financial burdens on participants and their families—from travel and time away from work to uncovered medical and ancillary expenses.

This webinar examined the sources and impact of these costs and highlighted emerging strategies to reduce financial hardship for research volunteers. Presenters also introduced tools, checklists, and other resources developed through the EACT Project, a collaborative forum advancing financial neutrality in clinical research participation.

Panelists

Moderator
Dr. Barbara Bierer, Faculty Director, MRCT Center

A Framework for AI Adoption and Oversight in Clinical Research


EACT Project Resources

Joint Task Force for Clinical Trial Competency (JTF) Global Biannual Meeting

Meeting

June 15, 2026 @ 9:00 am 11:00 am

The Joint Task Force for Clinical Trial Competency (JTF), anchored at the MRCT Center, develops and disseminates standards and practices for the global clinical research workforce. By fostering a cohesive and collaborative approach, the JTF ensures that professionals have the competencies to conduct clinical trials ethically and effectively.

Our international team of investigators, educators, and clinical research professionals has developed and/or utilizes a framework that defines the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for conducting safe, ethical, and high-quality clinical research.

Join us on June 15, 2026, 9:00-11:00 AM ET for the Joint Task Force for Clinical Trial Competency (JTF) Biannual Global Meeting to hear about global perspectives on implementing the JTF Framework. Agenda specifics will be posted soon.

To learn more about the JTF Framework: https://mrctcenter.org/clinical-trial-competency/framework/overview/

All registrants will receive slides and a meeting summary after the meeting. This event is free.

Meeting of The Research, Development, and Regulatory Roundtable (R3)

November 5, 2026 @ 1:00 pm 3:30 pm

The Research, Development, and Regulatory Roundtable (R3) is a forum to discuss pre-competitive issues in drug and device development, regulatory oversight of clinical trials, and human subjects research. Meetings convene policymakers, legal counsel, academicians, industry representatives, and global regulators. The R3 is a cooperative endeavor coordinated by the MRCT Center and Ropes & Gray LLP.

This hybrid meeting is open to sponsors of the Research, Development, and Regulatory Roundtable.

Topic: TBD

For more information, please email at MRCT@BWH.HARVARD.EDU

Deliverables

Meeting of The Research, Development, and Regulatory Roundtable (R3)

September 3, 2026 @ 1:00 pm 3:30 pm

The Research, Development, and Regulatory Roundtable (R3) is a forum to discuss pre-competitive issues in drug and device development, regulatory oversight of clinical trials, and human subjects research. Meetings convene policymakers, legal counsel, academicians, industry representatives, and global regulators. The R3 is a cooperative endeavor coordinated by the MRCT Center and Ropes & Gray LLP.

This hybrid meeting is open to sponsors of the Research, Development, and Regulatory Roundtable.

Topic: TBD

For more information, please email at MRCT@BWH.HARVARD.EDU

Deliverables

Meeting of The Research, Development, and Regulatory Roundtable (R3)

June 8, 2026 @ 12:00 pm 3:30 pm

The Research, Development, and Regulatory Roundtable (R3) is a forum to discuss pre-competitive issues in drug and device development, regulatory oversight of clinical trials, and human subjects research. Meetings convene policymakers, legal counsel, academicians, industry representatives, and global regulators. The R3 is a cooperative endeavor coordinated by the MRCT Center and Ropes & Gray LLP.

This hybrid meeting is open to sponsors of the Research, Development, and Regulatory Roundtable.

Topic: TBD

For more information, please email at MRCT@BWH.HARVARD.EDU

Deliverables

Revisions to FDA Guidance: clinical decision support; digital products

April 9, 2026 @ 1:00 pm 3:30 pm

The Research, Development, and Regulatory Roundtable (R3) is a forum to discuss pre-competitive issues in drug and device development, regulatory oversight of clinical trials, and human subjects research. Meetings convene policymakers, legal counsel, academicians, industry representatives, and global regulators. The R3 is a cooperative endeavor coordinated by the MRCT Center and Ropes & Gray LLP.

This hybrid meeting is open to sponsors and select guests of the Research, Development, and Regulatory Roundtable.

Topic: Revisions to FDA Guidance: clinical decision support; digital products

For more information, please email at MRCT@BWH.HARVARD.EDU

Deliverables

Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues (ELSI) in Human Somatic Gene Therapy Clinical Research: A Scoping Review

Publication

Presented on: November 14, 2025

Published in: Human Gene Therapy

Carolyn Chapman, Mena Shaikh, Ava Glazier, Andrew Creamer, and Barbara Bierer published Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues (ELSI) in Human Somatic Gene Therapy Clinical Research: A Scoping Review in Human Gene Therapy. Dozens of gene therapies have been approved, and hundreds more are in development, prompting the need to better characterize the ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of this emerging therapeutic class. The authors conducted a scoping review to map these issues across the literature, identifying themes related to risk–benefit assessment, engagement and communication, justice and access, ethical trial design, and the influence of financial and regulatory decision-making. The article also discusses potential approaches to address these ELSI as gene-therapy research expands.

Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues (ELSI) in Human Somatic Gene Therapy Clinical Research: A Scoping Review

Carolyn Riley Chapman, Mena Shaikh, Ava Glazier, Andrew Creamer, and Barbara E. Bierer Human Gene Therapy 202536:21-221387-1404

AI Digital Twins and Synthetic Data: Practical Use Cases for Clinical Research

Webinar

Presented on: November 18, 2025

This webinar focused on real-world examples and lessons learned from deploying synthetic data and digital twins across therapeutic areas.

Key Topics:

  • Reducing the size of control arms 
  • Enhancing Bayesian statistical analysis 
  • Supporting single-arm trials 
  • Optimizing the design of future trials 

Panelist: Daniele Bertolini, Machine Learning Scientist at Unlearn.ai.

Moderator: Barbara Bierer, Faculty Director at the MRCT Center

A Framework for AI Adoption and Oversight in Clinical Research


EC/IRB Guide to Understanding Post-Trial Continued Access

Guidance

Date: November 13, 2025

The EC/IRB Guide for Understanding Post-Trial Continued Access aims to assist Ethics Committees (EC) and Institutional Review Boards (IRB) in interpreting their role under Paragraph 34 of the Declaration of Helsinki. Paragraph 34 requires sponsors and researchers to arrange post-trial provisions for “participants who still need an intervention identified as beneficial and reasonably safe.” Exceptions to this must be approved by an EC or IRB, necessitating an understanding of when post-trial, continued access is applicable.

This resource outlines principles and criteria for evaluating when continued access is appropriate. It provides tools and questions to guide equitable decisions, ensuring ethical and transparent approaches to post-trial, continued access decisions. Additional resources and frameworks are available through the MRCT Center’s Post-Trial Responsibilities: Continued Access project page to support ethics committees.

Mitigating Financial Toxicity for Participants in Clinical Trials

Webinar

December 9, 2025 @ 10:00 am 11:00 am

Mitigating Financial Toxicity for Participants in Clinical Trials
Tuesday, December 9 | 10:00–11:00 AM ET
– and now available ON-DEMAND

Hosted by the MRCT Center, in collaboration with Equitable Access to Clinical Trials (EACT), a project convened by LUNGevity Foundation.

Clinical trials are vital to advancing medical knowledge and care, yet participation can impose significant financial burdens on participants and their families—from travel and time away from work to uncovered medical and ancillary expenses.

This webinar examined the sources and impact of these costs and highlighted emerging strategies to reduce financial hardship for research volunteers. Presenters also introduced tools, checklists, and other resources developed through the EACT Project, a collaborative forum advancing financial neutrality in clinical research participation.

Panelists

Moderator
Dr. Barbara Bierer, Faculty Director, MRCT Center