First evaluation of the French cancer clinical research projects funding program (PHRC)

6601 Background: Data on success and failure rates of clinical studies are cruelly missing, especially for public funded programs. The French Cancer Plan 2003–2007 has launched such program as a specific extension of the wider ‘Programme Hospitalier de Recherche Clinique‘ (PHRC). Grant applications are submitted yearly. Funding is competitively based, projects being selected by a national committee supported by independent experts. A substantial financial support for the recruitment of clinical research associates (CRA) was launched simultaneously.We performed a preliminary analysis of the projects’ outcome 5 years after their funding. Methods: We carried out a survey of the projects funded in 2003 and 2004. A questionnaire was sent to the principal investigator. Data on project status, number of patients recruited per project, reasons for delay or failure, and publication results were collected. Projects were classified as failure (not started or closed for lack of inclusions) or success (ongoing or completed). Results: Of 257 projects submitted, 85 (33%) were selected. Of them, 24 failed (28%). Higher failure rates were observed for breast (5/11, 45%), gastrointestinal tract (6/16, 38%), genitourinary tract (4/11, 36%), and immune or cell therapy (8/15, 53%) projects. In contrast, haematological malignancies projects showed a low failure rate (3/20, 15%) as well as studies associated with translational research (6/34, 18%) or led by cooperative groups. The main reason for trials delay or failure was recruitment difficulties, due to overestimation of recruitment potential or restrictive inclusion criteria. Very few (< 5%) mentioned difficulty raised by the evolution of the scientific question or competing studies. No financial issue was reported. With 4-year of follow-up, 25% and 52% of projects have been respectively published in a peer-reviewed journal or presented at scientific meetings. Conclusions: In this first set of trials funded by the French Cancer Plan 2003–2007, more than a quarter failed despite apparent adequate funding. Main cause was a discrepancy between inclusion potential announced and real accrual. Application processes should evaluate more carefully this issue in order to improve the effectiveness of public health funding interventions in the future. No significant financial relationships to disclose.