Innovative trial designs refer to new and creative ways of planning and conducting clinical trials to improve their efficiency, effectiveness, and relevance.  

Innovative trial designs aim to make clinical research more adaptive, patient-friendly, and capable of generating high-quality data faster.

For example, some adaptive trial designs allow modifications to the trial procedures (like dosage or sample size) based on early findings. This means that if early data suggests a particular approach is more effective or safer, the trial can adapt accordingly, potentially speeding up the development of new treatments.