Covance launches COVID-19 clinical trial matching platform

10-Jun-2020 - Last updated on 10-Jun-2020 at 12:47 GMT

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The drug development firm has introduced COVID-19 Clinical Trial Connect, a site designed to help potential patients match with research studies.

Covance, the drug development business of LabCorp, has launched Clinical Trial Connect in the US. The web-based service is designed to help people access information about COVID-19 trials and tell them how they can participate in research.

Michael Brooks, president of clinical development and commercialization solutions for Covance, told Outsourcing-Pharma the goal of COVID-19 Clinical Trial Connect is to accelerate patient recruitment for US-based COVID-19 clinical research.

“We believe it was critical to connect people interested in participating in US clinical trials with researchers so that together we can find solutions for this global pandemic,” Brooks told us. “Through the Covance COVID-19 Clinical Trial Connect site, prospective patients will be notified of studies run by Covance on behalf of biopharmaceutical and research companies.”

Brooks added that while potential participants across the country might be motivated to participate in such trials, they might not know how to make the connection and actually enroll in a study.

“With our COVID-19 Clinical Trial Connect, we’re helping bridge the gap. We are thrilled to have the capability to directly engage with patients who would not otherwise be aware of ongoing trials and give them the opportunity to consider participation, especially at this time,” he said.

Brooks explained the trial matching platform is designed to pull in a wide range of people to enroll in the connected trials.

“The COVID-19 clinical trial opportunities are diverse, with sponsors recruiting patients who currently have COVID-19, those who may be now recovered, those who may have been exposed to coronavirus, as well as healthy volunteers,” he said.

Also, the company is using different avenues to reach potential participants with the news.

“The company has launched a comprehensive outreach campaign to raise awareness of COVID-19 Clinical Trial Connect among patients. One unique way we are accomplishing this is through LabCorp, our parent company, which gives us the ability to create more touchpoints to the general population than any other CRO,” Brooks explained, adding that potential participants are encouraged to share the link via social media.

Once a potential patient reaches the trial matching site, they encounter a screening survey to help them understand whether there are any studies in their area for which they qualify. If there is a match, the patient will receive information about the trial and next steps in the recruitment process.

“If a local trial isn’t available, the patient can agree to be contacted in the future if they have provided their consent to do so. We will also provide prospective patients with a link to clinicaltrials.gov,” Brooks said.

Brooks told us that clinical trials like COVID-19 studies rely on the contribution of patients to continue their important work.

“People who choose to participate in a clinical trial are true medical heroes,” Brooks said. “It is only through well-designed clinical research that we will find effective treatments and vaccines against COVID-19.”

Covance will be presenting at DIA 2020, during the session Driving Patient-Centric Trials: Moving Beyond the Hype, taking place Monday June 15, 2:30 pm to 3 pm.