The clinical trial landscape for Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) is radically different from that of previous epidemics. Compared with H1N1, Ebola, and Zika, COVID-19 had an order of magnitude more clinical trials within the first 3 months following the declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). These trials have started much faster, are more geographically diverse, and are less likely to be funded by industry. However, the almost simultaneous design and initiation of hundreds of trials with 0.3 million participants across 78 countries creates the potential for congestion and inefficiencies and enhances risks for investors. Thus, an international coordination mechanism for clinical trials could be valuable in this and other situations.

2019 年冠状病毒 (COVID-19) 的临床试验环境与以前的流行病完全不同。与 H1N1、埃博拉和寨卡病毒相比，在宣布国际关注的突发公共卫生事件 (PHEIC) 后的前 3 个月内，COVID-19 的临床试验数量增加了一个数量级。这些试验开始得更快，地域更加多样化，并且不太可能由行业资助。然而，几乎同时设计和启动数百个试验，涉及 78 个国家的 30 万参与者，这可能造成拥堵和低效率，并增加了投资者的风险。因此，在这种情况和其他情况下，临床试验的国际协调机制可能很有价值。