Micro-CT imaging: Developing criteria for examining fetal skeletons in regulatory developmental toxicology studies - A workshop report.

During the past two decades the use and refinements of imaging modalities have markedly increased making it possible to image embryos and fetuses used in pivotal nonclinical studies submitted to regulatory agencies. Implementing these technologies into the Good Laboratory Practice environment requires rigorous testing, validation, and documentation to ensure the reproducibility of data. A workshop on current practices and regulatory requirements was held with the goal of defining minimal criteria for the proper implementation of these technologies and subsequent submission to regulatory agencies. Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) is especially well suited for high-throughput evaluations, and is gaining popularity to evaluate fetal skeletons to assess the potential developmental toxicity of test agents. This workshop was convened to help scientists in the developmental toxicology field understand and apply micro-CT technology to nonclinical toxicology studies and facilitate the regulatory acceptance of imaging data. Presentations and workshop discussions covered: (1) principles of micro-CT fetal imaging; (2) concordance of findings with conventional skeletal evaluations; and (3) regulatory requirements for validating the system. Establishing these requirements for micro-CT examination can provide a path forward for laboratories considering implementing this technology and provide regulatory agencies with a basis to consider the acceptability of data generated via this technology.

Advancing the Use of Mobile Technologies in Clinical Trials: Recommendations from the Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative.

Mobile technologies offer the potential to reduce the costs of conducting clinical trials by collecting high-quality information on health outcomes in real-world settings that are relevant to patients and clinicians. However, widespread use of mobile technologies in clinical trials has been impeded by their perceived challenges. To advance solutions to these challenges, the Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative (CTTI) has issued best practices and realistic approaches that clinical trial sponsors can now use. These include CTTI recommendations on technology selection; data collection, analysis, and interpretation; data management; protocol design and execution; and US Food and Drug Administration submission and inspection. The scientific principles underpinning the clinical trials enterprise continue to apply to studies using mobile technologies. These recommendations provide a framework for including mobile technologies in clinical trials that can lead to more efficient assessment of new therapies for patients.