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DIA Recap: Wednesday, June 17
Jun 17, 2020

As we begin to wrap up activities at DIA 2020, we can definitely say that the important exchanges with colleagues across the global life sciences community were as invaluable as ever – even virtually.

Today, IQVIA led several key discussions through two Innovation Theaters. These sessions are available for on-demand viewing by DIA registrants for the next 60 days, but we wanted to share the highlights with you all here.

  • Though randomized clinical trials (RCTs) are traditionally considered the gold standard for approving new treatments, results are not always applicable to all settings or diverse patient populations. In the “Modernizing Regulatory Evidence with Real World Studies,” forum, Real World Solutions Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Nancy Dreyer alongside Vice President of Clinical Evidence and Epidemiology Jennifer Christian emphasized just how important real-world evidence is in understanding how well a therapy or treatment is working, for what patients, and under what specific conditions. The forum aimed to help stakeholders better understand the complementary nature of RCTs and RWE. Alongside Friends of Cancer Research President Jeff Allen, the panel shared methods to guide reliable regulatory use of RWE to ultimately ensure patients receive treatments in the quickest and safest ways possible.
  • MaryAnne Rizk, Senior Vice President for Digital R&D Strategy at IQVIA, co-led a discussion with Salesforce Director Jennifer Turcotte titled, “Driving Quality through Innovative Digital Trial Approaches in a Pandemic Era.”Given limited access to trial sites for patients, site staff and monitors, and regulators during the pandemic, challenges to traditional clinical development snowballed. Collaboration has always been important to IQVIA, but now more than ever, we are working closely with the broader healthcare system to keep drug discovery moving. MaryAnne shared tangible examples of how IQVIA is leveraging our advances in human data science and technology to help clients and the industry by digitally connecting siloed people, organizations, applications, and more. Using artificial intelligence, machine learning, virtual trials, decentralized trials, telehealth, and more, traditional clinical models in a standstill can seamlessly transition into hybrid or virtual models to keep trials moving with patient safety top of mind.

IQVIA’s thought leaders also participated in several live and semi-live sessions today:

  • There is no one-size-fits-all approach to clinical development. To take it a step further, during the “Combining Multiple Real World Data Sources to Maximize Value” session, Vice President of Clinical Evidence and Epidemiology Jennifer Christian and fellow panelists discussed the reality that no single real-world data vendor will have perfect and complete data. That’s why it’s often necessary to partner with multiple vendors. These experts shared best practices for effectively cross-referencing and comparing multiple data sources, as there will inevitably be data integration risks, given the use of varying methodologies.
  • Prior to COVID-19, interest in technology solutions to help reduce cost trials and timelines and enhance diverse patient recruitment was already high. But the pandemic has driven even higher interest and adoption. In the panel “Evolving Trials for the Digital Age”, IQVIA’s MaryAnne Rizk shared how vital it is for sponsors and researchers to understand exactly what fundamental trial processes can benefit from which technology innovations. MaryAnne also noted the importance of identifying when it may or may not make sense to weave in tech-enabled solutions and what management techniques need to be adjusted to better prepare trials to adopt these innovations when appropriate.
  • MaryAnne also presented as part of the “Driving Quality through Innovative Approaches” forum, where a collection of experts shared new strategies to improve quality and compliance in trials. She shed light on risk-based monitoring technologies and approaches IQVIA has successfully incorporated to help improve trial quality and compliance through better protocol deviation management and trial oversight and auditing.  

As DIA 2020 comes to a close Thursday, we are inspired by how this virtual meeting has shown how technology can bring together people and ideas from across the globe for the greater good of patient health. IQVIA is excited to work alongside others in the industry to overcome complex challenges, continue drug discovery, and help bring important therapies and treatments to market quickly and safely. 

Interested in connecting with IQVIA leadership to learn more about our services? Please visit us at the IQVIA virtual booth or contact us here.

 
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