Infectious disease experts propose trials network dedicated to immunocompromised patients

The COVID-19 pandemic made plain what many patients, clinicians and researchers have known for decades: people with weakened immune systems are much more vulnerable to infectious diseases.

But immunocompromised patients are usually left out of large clinical trials that assess new treatments and vaccines, leaving a data gap that hampers clinical care.

Last month, experts across disciplines, from infectious disease clinicians to regulators to representatives from the pharmaceutical industry, convened at the inaugural ImmunOptimize workshop in Bethesda, MD, to brainstorm strategies to address the unmet needs of immunocompromised patients.

“We need roots, not parachutes,” said Fred Hutch Cancer Center infectious disease expert Dr. Joshua Hill, who headed the ImmunOptimize scientific committee. “We need a grassroots effort to address the unmet needs of immunocompromised patients. The time is right to bring the conversations to the forefront.”