Cancer drug trials on hold amid coronavirus disruption

Cancer drug trials on hold amid coronavirus disruption

Clinical research has been disrupted as hospitals devote more resources to caring for people critically ill with COVID-19. (Alberto Pizzoli/AFP/Getty)

The drug trials left behind Scientists are rushing to launch clinical trials of experimental vaccines and treatments for the coronavirus — while clinical trials of therapies for cancer and other illnesses are being put on hold. Neena Nizar and her family were poised to harvest the fruit of a decade of hard work and sacrifice: a clinical trial of an experimental treatment for her two sons’ rare and painful genetic disorder. Then came COVID-19. “I feel like we were chugging along on a train and then somebody dropped a huge boulder on it,” says Nizar. Nature | 6 min read