Evidence Europe conference

IgniteData was delighted to attend the Evidence Europe conference at Victoria Park Plaza in London at the end of February. Approximately 200 attendees, representing stakeholders from market access, health economics, epidemiology and clinical research, gathered to discuss the rapidly changing landscape of drug development and reimbursement, and the unique challenges these changes will bring over the coming years.

Jane Turner, formerly Executive Director of Late Phase at INC Research, who represented Ignite Data at the conference commented, “The growing use of Real-World Evidence, both in pre- and post-marketing situations, was a key topic for this forward-looking conference.. Real-World Evidence and the setting up of systems to generate it are clearly becoming more important to a product’s success. Industry must design products for reimbursement, not just regulatory approval, and evidence of both effectiveness and safety can be provided by Real-World Evidence.”

The integration of Real-World Evidence is a critical step for the success of new drugs coming to market, and it is something that the industry is now actively working towards. This 3-day event included workshops, panel discussions and talks, giving stakeholders the opportunity to network, showcase innovation and expertise, and ultimately collaborate in order to improve the way we can collect and use Real-World Evidence efficiently and effectively.

Perhaps one of the most exciting topics touched upon during the conference was the use of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) to support research studies. The incorporation of data linkage is now becoming a reality, and companies like Ignite Data who know how to obtain data in real time, and from the patients themselves, are at the forefront of the modernisation of the drug development world.

Integrating Real-World Evidence into the research world provides unique opportunities for teams at the start of the drug development process, right through to planning and conducting research studies. Using Real-World Evidence in feasibility studies gives a unique insight into the target patient population before a study has even commenced; but using this evidence a step before, when considering your research question, could guide the development of new treatments through use of data on disease variation and current treatments on offer to the patient population.

Once a study has started, Real-World Evidence can improve the generalisability and representativeness of research results in pragmatic trial environments. This new approach may also offer an improved patient retention process as patients can stay ‘in’ the study without the inconvenience of study visits and additional time commitments; a hot topic for regulatory bodies.

The Evidence Europe conference was a fantastic opportunity for Ignite Data to discuss the opportunities and challenges ahead of us; we’re excited to continue working with industry partners using our technology and process to streamline finding sites, recruiting patients and managing data.

Heidi Gardner