Who holds ultimate responsibility for overall management and financing of a clinical trial?
Sponsor
The Sponsor occupies the highest level of accountability within a clinical trial structure. This entity, which can be an individual or an organization, is specifically defined by its function of providing the necessary financing for the study. Beyond just funding, the Sponsor assumes ultimate responsibility for the entire trial's overall management. This responsibility includes ensuring that the entire research endeavor strictly complies with all relevant legislation governing clinical research and adheres robustly to the principles of Good Clinical Practice (GCP). Importantly, even if the Sponsor delegates specific management or monitoring tasks to a third party, such as a Contract Research Organization (CRO), the legal and ultimate accountability for the proper execution of those delegated functions remains squarely with the Sponsor.
