Across the biopharma industry, sponsors are working to fulfill drug safety and pharmacovigilance (PV) needs as they continue to evolve rapidly. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, drug consumers are reporting adverse events with higher frequency thanks to increased awareness of drug safety and greater digital reporting access. Amid this new climate, sponsors are also striving to accommodate the following changes:

• Increasing regulatory mandates at both a global and local level
• New types of adverse events due to high complexity drugs
• Growth in data volume and source type
• Evolving business strategies

One potential solution is opting to work with a safety services vendor that can help save time and money, mitigate risk, and maintain regulatory compliance. A vendor with ample experience can provide safety and PV experts that have access to robust tools to help them accommodate regulatory changes and leverage appropriate safety reporting strategies.

The Benefits of Unifying Safety Services and Technology

Historically, safety services vendors have provided intake, medical review, and regulatory reporting for sponsors, while technology vendors provided the platforms to make their jobs easier to manage. However, the two have generally existed as separate entities, only collaborating when a sponsor requires it. As a result, this dynamic can lead to risks including a lack of cohesion, inexperience with the technology, and miscommunications. The combined safety services and technology model seeks to eliminate these obstacles by streamlining services and technology under one vendor. This can yield the following advantages for sponsors:

• A comprehensive feedback loop where technology and service teams share data to improve offerings
• Reduced lag time for user training
• Greater project management capacity for sponsors thanks to reduced vendor coordination
• A single, lower price point for all components
• Agility to accommodate automation

Ultimately, these factors compound to ensure a streamlined safety services landscape with capacity to handle increasing volumes and regulations.

Where Can I Learn More?

As you consider whether partnering with an integrated safety services provider is the right move for your PV and safety needs, determine a potential partner’s experience levels, ability to handle shifting caseloads, and confidence navigating different global territories. In a recent whitepaper, IQVIA team members: Archana Hegde, Senior Director, Integrated PV Solutions; Richard D’Mello, Senior Director, Commercial Strategy and Operations; and Scott Fonseca, VP, Integrated Safety Managing Director, break down the current trends of the industry, the limitations of a two-vendor model, and how technology implementations can ease the overall burden for sponsors and vendors. To learn more about how to accommodate trends and volumes across the industry, download the comprehensive whitepaper, The Unique Value of Integrated Safety Services and Technology.