The California-based contract research organisation (CRO) has spent over a year developing its In-Site platform and has begun implementing it for both its own in-house clinical trials and as a third-party service for other CROs and pharma firms.
The platform uses a number of technologies to identify high concentrations of desired patients, based on a number of the firm’s own databases, and – according to spokesman Matt Miller – will find the best clinical sites to conduct a trial by identifying the geographical location based on patient concentration.
Furthermore, he said, “once the patient groups are determined, In-Site allows for a very targeted advertising campaign to the locations that were determined” which “speeds up recruitment time because every step from site initiation to enrolment is highly educated and based on confirmed data.
“In-Site also focuses on patient retention by a number of processes to ensure that patient not only randomize but show up to every follow up visit.”
The platform is focused on efficiency, Miller continued, with speedier recruitment, directed to study completion, and “steering away from ‘Blanket Marketing’” allowing only potentially qualified volunteers from being exposed to a study, reducing costs for a CRO or pharma firm.
“By selecting the best clinical sites, [In-Site] allows sponsors to stay away from initiating clinical sites that may not be able to recruitment the needed patient group and focus solely on site that have access to the needed patients.”
Uniqueness?
Covance uses a database to optimise patient recruitment by selecting relevant clinical trial sites, whilst fellow CRO PPD acquired patient recruitment firm Acurian last August to help manage recruitment through predictive software analytics. Also last month Novo Nordisk selected Trialbee to manage its patients for a number of diabetes trials.
Asked how WCCT’s recruitment methods contrasted from such competitors, Miller said WCCT’s platform differed due to its integration of pharmacy prescriber data and other clinical data sources, intertwined with information from digital and social media.
“In-Site also covers every aspect of a clinical trial from study website development and branding to SEO initiatives,” he said, adding it also “allows sponsors to have all pre-screening and appointments made from WCCT Global’s in-house multi-lingual call center so there is a seamless process from volunteer enquiry to scheduling for the site.”