When trying to recruit patients for trials, it can seem as though the Institutional Review Board, or Ethics Committee, acts as a barrier to success.

Looking from a marketing perspective, the restrictions on not including language or imagery that might be unduly persuasive can appear to be unnecessarily strict and effectively anti-recruitment. What the IRB or EC is looking for is to ensure there is nothing coercive about the promotional material for a trial – with messaging such as ‘Take part in trials, earn lots of money’ being deemed to fall into that coercive category.

This has often led to some very ‘on the nose’ messaging being incorporated in recruitment materials – for example ‘we’re looking for people with xyz condition to take part in a clinical trial.’ But it can also lead to more interesting approaches being taken – sticking within the IRB/EC guidelines, while allowing creativity to flourish.