duplicate subjects in CNS trials

Clinical trials have never been better measured — and never more vulnerable to the risks that metrics don’t capture. Sponsors are excellent at tracking what happened: enrollment velocity, screen-failure rates, protocol deviations, data queries, adverse events, and time to database lock. These are essential operational and quality signals. But as therapeutic areas become more competitive …

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In today’s clinical research landscape, data integrity and subject safety are paramount — yet both remain at risk from a persistent and often invisible problem: duplicate and professional research participants. Across thousands of studies and millions of verifications, Verified Clinical Trials (VCT) has amassed the largest global dataset on subject duplication and protocol violations in …

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The Aha Moment We See Again and Again It usually starts the same way. A sponsor or site team is confident that duplicate subjects or professional pateints are not an issue in their clinical trial. After all, it seems rare—an unlikely problem compared to recruitment challenges, protocol deviations, or data entry errors. Then comes the …

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We are thrilled to be attending DPHARM 2025: Disruptive Innovations in Philadelphia (Sept 16-17) — to engage with our peers and showcase how our unique technology makes trials safer, more reliable, and more cost-effective. Why Duplicate Subjects and Professional Patients Are a Serious Risk One of the most persistent challenges in clinical research today is …

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Clinical trials face an often-overlooked but critical threat: professional patients and duplicate subjects in clinical trials. These individuals move between studies—sometimes across different sponsors, therapeutic areas, or even countries—putting patient safety, data integrity, and trial outcomes at risk. Unfortunately, most traditional methods of protection fall short: These approaches are like putting a band-aid on a …

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You never want to see a clinical trial fail. The consequences are enormous: And yet, many of these failures are preventable. A recent article highlighted a trial with unusually high discontinuation rates, particularly in the placebo group. Analysts were “puzzled.” I wasn’t. If a participant isn’t losing weight and suspects they’re on placebo, they can …

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In the clinical research world, it’s easy to assume that participants stay in their lane—only enrolling in studies within the same therapeutic area. The reality is far different. Research subjects often cross over between very different indications, creating hidden risks for trial integrity, data quality, and participant safety. These situations aren’t limited to professional subjects …

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Ask any seasoned research site team about the toughest protocol criteria to enforce, and you’ll likely hear the same answer: the 30-day washout rule. This requirement — that a subject must not have participated in another trial within the past 30 days — is simple to state but nearly impossible to verify without the right …

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In today’s competitive and complex research environment, professional patients—individuals who enroll in multiple clinical trials either simultaneously or back-to-back—pose one of the greatest threats to data integrity, subject safety, and trial success. These individuals often participate for financial gain or repeated access to investigational therapies, disregarding protocol requirements such as washout periods or exclusion criteria. …

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In modern clinical research, competition for eligible subjects is intense, protocols are increasingly complex, and timelines are tighter than ever. Across therapeutic areas, one persistent and costly threat continues to undermine trial integrity: duplicate and professional research subjects. These are individuals who enroll in multiple studies either at the same time or in rapid succession—often …

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