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,1 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. Our reflections represent those of the Australasian COVID-19 Trial (ASCOT)2 steering committee, as we have considered the challenges of conducting a clinical trial during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.

Related Research Areas

  • Clinical research and infection prevention
  • Public health research