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AACI Calls for Reducing Waste in Clinical Trial Supply Kits
Last month, AACI published Sustainable Practices for Disposing of Unused Lab Kit Supplies in Cancer Clinical Trials, which addresses the significant volume of unused laboratory kits generated by industry-sponsored clinical trials. With reports indicating that up to 50 percent of trial laboratory kits go unused, cancer centers face increasing costs, storage burdens, staff workload, and environmental waste.
Developed by the AACI Clinical Research Innovation (CRI) Unused Lab Kit Supplies Task Force, the call to action:
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Highlights the operational, financial, and environmental impacts of unused lab kit supplies
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Recommends practical strategies to reduce waste through inventory tracking, policy development, donation programs, and sustainability initiatives
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Encourages data-driven collaboration between cancer centers, sponsors, contract research organizations, and vendors to optimize supply forecasting and reduce excess inventory
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Provides a framework for implementing both short- and longer-term improvements tailored to an institution's resources and infrastructure
The publication also showcases examples from AACI member institutions demonstrating how inventory management and policy changes can substantially reduce waste while improving operational efficiency. Notably, one cancer center reported a 79-percent reduction in laboratory kit disposal following implementation of inventory tracking and policy enforcement measures.
AACI is committed to collborating with North American cancer centers to make clinical trial operations more efficient, reduce unnecessary waste, and support responsible stewardship of resources. We encourage AACI members and partners to join us in promoting and adopting more sustainable practices in cancer clinical research.