CTTI Study Shows More Efforts Are Needed to Stimulate Pediatric Antibacterial and Antifungal Drug Trials

In an article recently published in Pediatrics, CTTI researchers assess the impact of the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act (BPCA) and the Pediatric Research Equity Act (PREA) on pediatric antibacterial and antifungal drug trials.

The study, which evaluated pediatric trials conducted between 2007 and 2017, found that nearly two-thirds of pediatric antibacterial and antifungal drug trials were conducted under BPCA or PREA. These trials were more likely to collect pharmacokinetic data and report results than non-BPCA/PREA trials.

However, the overall number of pediatric antibacterial and antifungal drug trials was low, representing less than 1 percent of pediatric trials overall. These trials also rarely enrolled infants up to 30 days old.

The findings show that, while federal legislation is likely having an impact on pediatric antibacterial and antifungal drug trials, more efforts are needed to stimulate these trials and improve the reporting of results.

This study was conducted as part of CTTI’s ABDD Peds Trials Project, which focuses on creating efficient, evidence-based processes to accelerate the development of safe and effective pediatric antibacterial drugs.