FutureMeds has been recognised as a nominee in clinical research excellence, following our approach to vaccine trial management in 2024
"Our vaccine trial work has evolved beyond operational excellence into something truly meaningful — it has helped us build a community of engaged patients who share our vision for advancing medical science. By learning from each vaccine season and strengthening our collaborative approach across teams and borders, we're not just running trials — we're creating a sustainable framework for supporting future innovation in vaccine development."
— Wojciech Szczepanik, Executive VP of Operations
Challenge
With national vaccination programs in full swing and threatening to deplete the potential participant pool, FutureMeds teams found themselves in a challenging period. The original target was to recruit 1,060, 65-years or older participants (13.25% of the global 8,000-patient target for the season) across 9 sites in 3 countries within 4 weeks in an increasingly narrow vaccine season window.
Context
In many vaccine studies, performing sites often face multiple rounds of incremental recruitment cap increases in a single season. While this approach is often necessary from a client perspective, it can lead to significant inefficiencies at the site level. When a sponsor initially sets a low recruitment target, site teams focus on meeting only that lower target to mitigate operational and financial risks. Shortly before hitting this initial threshold, high-performing sites usually request an increase in the recruitment cap.
However, when a site must pause enrolment while waiting for client response, the entire patient marketing machine and site operations tend to go on hold. Key staff pivot to other studies, and potential participants who were ready to be vaccinated lose interest or drop out.
This results in a notable drop in willingness to participate — up to 20–30% — and marketing costs per randomisation rise because more effort must be spent re-engaging or replacing lost participants.
Even if the sponsor ultimately approves the higher cap, the site may still face logistical delays in receiving additional supplies, such as investigational products, lab kits, and electronic devices for participants.
These delays push recruitment further into the season, shrinking the remaining enrolment window and risking a shortfall against the increased target. The consequence is not only missed recruitment goals but also damage to sponsors' data.
Solution
Building on the lessons, client feedback and insights of previous vaccine seasons, as part of increasing vaccine preparedness across the FutureMeds site network, our teams developed a comprehensive vaccine-specific framework.
Key building blocks of the framework:
Advanced summer planning across all departments
A robust patient engagement strategy
Introduction of dedicated Patient Assistants to enhance participant experience
Real-time communication procedures for rapid decision-making
Proactive resource management to prevent enrollment bottlenecks
Results
FutureMeds exceeded all expectations:
Recruited 1,559 participants - contributing 20% to the global trial target
One of our sites surpassed initial site targets within just 9 business days
Maintained exceptional quality standards throughout the accelerated timeline
In an industry where timing and precision matter, FutureMeds demonstrated what thoughtful planning and coordinated execution can achieve.
Vote For FutureMeds
This nomination recognises the potential to transform how vaccine trials are conducted, and more visibility can help spread wider adoption across the sites.
We would be honoured if you would support our vision for more efficient, patient-focused clinical research by casting your vote: https://terrapinn-awards.evessiocloud.com/vieawards2025/en/page/public-vote-vie-awards
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