Real-world industry round-up: new educational resource for all real-world evidence stakeholders launched in Europe
This month: Synteract (CA, USA) leverages real-world data from TriNetX (MA, USA) to source and enroll individuals in essential COVID-19 clinical trials and Hackensack Meridian Health (NJ, USA) launches a real-world evidence registry to study the effects of COVID-19.
In this latest installment of our regular monthly column, we summarize a selection of key real-world evidence industry developments that have taken place over the past month.
The news highlights:
New educational resource for all real-world evidence stakeholders launched in Europe
Utilizing real-world data to source and enroll individuals in essential COVID-19 clinical trials
Real-world evidence registry launched to study the effects of COVID-19
COVID-19 clinical trial tracker launched
New educational resource for all real-world evidence stakeholders launched in Europe
The European Health Data and Evidence Network (EHDEN; Brussels, Belgium) has announced the launch of the EHDEN Academy in Europe — a free, online educational resource for all stakeholders involved in the generation, use, analysis and methodological development of real-world data and evidence.
Colm Carroll, Scientific Project Manager of digital health at the Innovative Medicines Initiative Joint Undertaking (Brussels, Belgium), commented: “To truly bring the digital revolution to healthcare, the vast wealth of health data already available in hospitals throughout Europe must be harnessed at scale. The EHDEN Academy will equip researchers with the skills to unlock this data and help ensure European citizens receive the most appropriate healthcare for their needs.”
Utilizing real-world data to source and enroll individuals in essential COVID-19 clinical trials
Synteract (CA, USA) has successfully utilized the TriNetX (MA, USA) COVID-19 Rapid Response Network to identify European study sites from which to recruit individuals for a clinical trial of an investigational product against COVID-19. The TriNetX network consists of longitudinal clinical data from over 20,000 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 across the USA and Europe; the platform enables pharmaceutical companies to design clinical trials with real-world data and quickly engage healthcare organizations that have eligible patients with confirmed interest in receiving COVID-19 clinical trial opportunities.
“The ability to quickly model an eligible patient cohort with real-world data and then be directed to the healthcare organizations where these COVID-19 patients are being treated enables us to quickly initiate life-saving clinical trials,” explained Mary Mattes, Senior Vice President of global operations at Synteract.
Real-world evidence registry launched to study the effects of COVID-19
Hackensack Meridian Health (NJ, USA) has launched the Real-world Evidence COVid RegistrY (Re-COV-RY), one of the largest compilations of hospital-based COVID-19 data in the USA to date. The registry is hoped to contribute toward enhanced disease understanding and potential effective therapies; it has already been utilized for an observational investigation into the impacts of hypertension and ACE inhibitor use on COVID-19 disease trajectory and survival.
Ihor Sawczuk, Chief Research Officer at Hackensack Meridian Health, stated: “We are in the midst of a global pandemic, and it is critical that we have the necessary data available for our medical professionals on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis. In the absence of randomized clinical trials, we must learn as much as we can in real-time as we battle this deadly virus. Our real-world database will be able to produce real, tangible results.”
COVID-19 clinical trial tracker launched
Cytel (MA, USA) has launched a global, open-access COVID-19 clinical trial tracker, funded by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (WA, USA), to help facilitate greater collaboration between critical stakeholders working to find a solution to the COVID-19 outbreak and enable them to make more informed and pragmatic decisions on how to channel scarce resources.
“While much of the world is isolating, the scientific and clinical communities are coming together to fight the COVID-19 virus. United by an unprecedented sense of urgency, there is a level of collaboration that we’ve not seen before, and, despite the current pressures on the healthcare system, hundreds of hospitals are still committed to working on clinical trials…We are committed to supporting the global effort — and launching the COVID-19 Clinical Trial Tracker offered an additional way to do that,” commented Joshua Schultz, CEO of Cytel.
