GCP Focused Expert Clinical Grading Studies

Percentage Based Improvements Supporting Your Product Efficacy

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Validating Product Claims With Objective Clinical Studies and Research Data

Expert Grading, also known as Clinical Technician Grading, Objective Grading, or Medical Professional Grading involves scoring a multitude of underlying conditions such as severity of wrinkles, acne lesions, skin brightness, redness, luminosity, and a wide range of secondary parameters.

Expert Grading is a Clinical endpoint with objective measurements performed by a trained and qualified technician/grader.

This is a cost effective approach to related claims, as you can include a variety of unrelated parameters (we recommend no more than 7) for incremental price increases.

Sample Claims:

Clinically proven to reduce the signs of aging
Clinical proven to reduce fine lines and wrinkles
In a clinical study, 91% of participants showed a significant reduction in the appearance of pores (notice how we described the number of participants as a percentage, not the actual improvement itself as a percentage).

Validated Claim Support can implement scales based on regulatory provisions, industry publications, laboratory experience, or client provided material.

Leave the Evaluations Up to the Clinical Study Experts at Validated Claim Support

While consumer perception and user feedback are great ways of supporting soft claims, when you want to talk about percentage-based improvement then you have to take a more clinical approach.

Expert Grading involves using numerical scales to demonstrate the relative change in a condition after treatment versus baseline. Multiple readings may be taken, and a variety of scales can be implemented to look at different treatment conditions.

Validated Scales and Clinical Grade Scoring

Generally, scales range from 0-4 points or 0-9 points, with defined specific intervals and descriptors for each individual value. Final results can be tabulated and statistically analyzed to make a wide range of claims about treatment products.

Expert Grading scores/scales are anchored around fixed, anchored endpoints rated from 0-9.

Treatment timing can vary depending on the individual product. For cosmetic efficacy, immediate or 24 hour readings may be indicated, and for long term treatments such as anti-aging or hair growth, it will be beneficial to assess for a period of 4-16 weeks.

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What Is Clinical Expert Grading?

Clinical Grading is a claim support technique that involves the expertise of a trained, objective clinical professional who reviews skin or hair related conditions. The Grader uses a 5 point (0-4) or 10 point (0-9) scale that anchors around a positive and a negative condition.

Objective Grading is a decidedly “Clinical” endpoint: it has percentage based improvement values, and requires controlled laboratory visits. Factors such as lighting and temperature and humidity are critically important. Home Use Trials cannot provide the same level of claim support, so we usually add self-perception questionnaires to a full clinical study so that subjective data is also captured.

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Clinical Study Expert Grading Parameters

The following represents a list of various possible scoring parameters that can be utilized in clinical data study analysis:

Fine Lines & Wrinkles (Global)
Skin Texture Smoothness
Skin Texture Softness
Firmness
Elasticity
Suppleness
Contours
Plumpness
Neck: Horizontal Lines/Wrinkles
Sagging (Mid Face)
Under Eye Bags
Pore Appearance
Shine
Overall Skin Quality/healthy appearance/condition
Brightness/Radiance/ Luminosity
Skin Tone Evenness
Skin Tone Clarity
PIH (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation)
Dark Spots / Age Spots (intensity)
Discoloration/ Hyperpigmentation
Complexion & Health

Other parameters may be available as well, and we are happy to review industry or client provided guidelines or secondary scales as well.

Clinical Before & After Photography and Image Analysis

Clinically Validated, High Resolution Before and After Images and Analysis Over Time. Validated Claim Support offers cutting-edge, high-resolution photography to help document product efficacy over a given treatment timeline or product usage cycle.

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