The Role of Master Protocols in Pediatric Drug Development

Master protocols are innovative clinical trial designs that enable new approaches to analytics and operations, creating value for patients and drug developers. To date, the use of master protocols in pediatric drug development has been limited, focused primarily on pediatric oncology with limited experience in rare and ultra-rare pediatric diseases. This article explores the application of master protocols to pediatric programs required by FDA and EMA based on adult developmental programs. These required programs involve multiple assets developed in limited pediatric populations for registrational purposes. However, these required programs include the possibility for extrapolation of efficacy and safety from the adult population. The use of master protocols is a potential solution to the challenge of conducting clinical trials in small pediatric populations provided that such use would improve enrollment or reduce the required sample size. Toward that end, Janssen and Lilly have been working on a collaborative cross-company pediatric platform trial in pediatric Crohn’s disease using an innovative Bayesian analysis. We describe how two competing companies can work together to design and execute the proposed platform, focusing on selected aspects—the usefulness of a single infrastructure, the regulatory submission process, the choice of control group, and the use of pediatric extrapolation. Master protocols offer the potential for great benefit in pediatrics by streamlining clinical development, with the goal of reducing the delay in pediatric marketing approvals when compared to adults so that children have timelier access to safe and effective medications.