Letter from the Editor

Trial transformation

IBM Watson, Microsoft, Oracle, GE are among the dozens, if not hundreds, of companies that are developing and deploying game-changing technologies, tools, services, and processes focused on transforming how clinical trials are conducted. The goals are lofty, and the stakes are high: patients are waiting for safe, efficacious, and in some cases, life-saving treatments.

At eyeforpharma’s Third Annual Data & Technology in Clinical Trials USA conference, recently held in Philadelphia, the concept of re-designing clinical trials so they don’t just determine safety and efficacy but also provide key information about the patient experience of a drug in order to bring better products to market was the key focus of dozens of industry leaders. They addressed a number of related topics, including ways to turn clinical trials from an expensive burden into a differentiating asset, and how to build smarter, more effective strategies by combining big data with sophisticated analytics and real-time feedback. (For more information, visit http://www.eyeforpharma.com/data-clinical/.)

As we prepare for the 2017 DIA Annual Meeting next month in Chicago (stop by PharmaVOICE’s booth #715 to say hello) and look forward to seeing first-hand the various technologies that are currently being employed in the clinical trial space, we wanted to turn the focus of this month’s cover story to the successes that biopharma companies and their technology partners are having as they collaboratively make significant strides to impact R&D efficiency, accelerate time to market, improve safety, and boost data accuracy. We learned making much of this transformation possible are cloud-based technologies, ramped-up computing power, and increasingly more sophisticated machine learning and algorithms.

Experts say at the heart of trial transformation are data. As Denise Myshko reports, in the future fewer data points will come from the traditional investigator-led EDC data entry process, and the ability to pool real-world data evidence information from payers, insurance companies, EMR systems, wearables, etc., and the application of analytics against this crucial intelligence will become the new normal.

We further explore trial technology solution trends in this month’s special Showcase Clinical Trial Solutions Forum featuring several of the industry’s leading clinical trial tansformers — ACM Global, Advanced Clinical, Atlantic Research Group, Axiom Real-Time Metrics, Clincierge, Cognizant, DrugDev, ERT, ICON, KellyOCG, Lifelines Neurodiagnostic Systems, Medidata, and Medpace — who note that the market and range of clinical trial solutions continue to grow and adapt to changing needs and capabilities, including mobile technologies and cloud deployment. It’s no surprise that the continued pressure to bring products to market faster and to reduce the cost of clinical trials, while improving recruitment and data collection, will drive greater uptake of advanced clinical trial solutions. And the market is growing fast. Global industry analysts predict that the market for eClinical solutions alone will reach $7.61 billion by 2022, a CAGR of 12.4%.

Taren Grom, Editor

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Their word…

Denise Myshko
Managing Editor

Biopharma companies and their partners are making significant strides with technology efforts to impact R&D efficiency and boost data accuracy.

Robin Robinson
Senior Editor

The requirements for developing successful relationships are based on trust, respect, and transparency.

Kim Ribbink
Features Editor

Rare diseases face some unique logistical challenges, making precise planning a priority for companies making these products.

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Coming in July/August 2017

The July/August issue features 100 of the most inspiring individuals in the life-sciences industry as determined by you, our readers. These individuals demonstrate what it means to think bigger, do more, and lead with passion and integrity.

Don’t miss this issue to see who is on the list!

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Masthead

Volume 17 • Number 6
Publisher   Lisa Banket
Editor   Taren Grom
Creative Director   Marah Walsh

Managing Editor
Denise Myshko

Senior Editor
Robin Robinson

Features Editor
Kim Ribbink

Design Associate
Ariel Medel

Director of Sales
Cathy Tracy

National Account Manager
Suzanne Besse

Webcast Network Producer
Daniel Limbach

Circulation Assistant
Kathy Deiuliis

PharmaVoice (ISSN: 1932961X) is published monthly except joint issues in July/Aug. and Nov./Dec., by PharmaLinx LLC, P.O. Box 327, Titusville, NJ 08560. Periodicals postage paid at Titusville, NJ 08560 and additional mailing offices.

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