Verana Health announces development of Qdata MS, a real-word data module for multiple sclerosis research

Verana Health is developing Qdata MS, a multiple sclerosis module in its Qdata RWD series. Qdata MS will facilitate the generation of RWE to help researchers elucidate understanding of MS and how it can be treated.

Digital health company Verana Health has announced it is developing a module for multiple sclerosis (MS) in its Qdata RWD/RWE series, called Qdata MS. This valuable new dataset of curated, de-identified RWD will help researchers develop and study treatments for MS and gives patients and their physicians the opportunity to contribute and lend their anonymized experiences to research.

Verana Health is committed to elevating quality in clinical RWD/RWE. Using its clinician-informed and AI-enhanced population health data engine VeraQ, Verana transforms structured and unstructured healthcare RWD into curated, disease-specific data modules, known as Qdata^®. Verana launched its first neurology Qdata module in April 2022 for spinal muscular atrophy, called Qdata SMA, and plans to add modules for other neurological diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease and neuromyelitis, following development of its module for MS.

Nearly 1-million people in the US are living with MS, according to a 2019 study funded by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, with three times more women affected than men.

Qdata MS comprises de-identified, curated RWD from about 30,000 people with MS, making it one of the largest longitudinal MS datasets for research use. The data is derived from the American Academy of Neurology’s Axon Registry®. The Axon Registry is managed by Verana Health’s VeraQ population health data engine and is one of the largest and growing neurology RWD registries.

“Qdata MS will help support MS researchers in accessing insightful RWE and allow practices enrolled in the Axon Registry to potentially participate in or help influence ground-breaking clinical research,” said Sujay Jadhav, CEO of Verana Health. “By making this de-identified data available, the American Academy of Neurology and Verana Health are enabling MS researchers to gain a better understanding of this disease and how it can be treated.”

Verana’s Qdata MS offers quality insights into how people diagnosed with MS, across real-world healthcare settings, are living with the disease and reacting to treatments. Its data curation facilitates a granular understanding of disease activity through inclusion of clinical characteristics such as detailed diagnostic classification beyond ICD, MS phenotype, Expanded Disability Status Score (EDSS) score, and clinical relapse. Qdata MS will power analytics solutions for RWE generation that will have many beneficial applications, including clinical trials enablement and HEOR analysis.

“Qdata MS has the potential to provide a more granular view of the MS patient journey that is not easily found within structured EHR fields, medical claims, or pharmacy claims. The ability to bring meaning to unstructured, de-identified neurologist notes on tens of thousands of MS patients will provide a valuable new dataset to help researchers develop and study treatments for various MS patient cohorts.” explained Heather Moss, Stanford University Associate Professor and medical advisor to Verana Health. “Qdata MS gives patients and their physicians the opportunity to contribute and lend their anonymized experiences to research and engages the broader neurology community to learn more about this disease.”