Elligo, Cerner join to expand clinical trial reach in communities
Cerner, a global health care technology firm, has announced investment in integrated research organization Elligo Health Research. Cerner will enter into a commercial agreement to expand data and tools available in its Cerner Learning Health Network to increase trial resources available to community and rural hospitals and practices; Cerner representatives also will join Elligo’s board.
John Potthoff, CEO of Elligo, told Outsourcing-Pharma that the alliance made sense, considering the similar aims of the two firms.
“Given the overlap of our missions, we have known each other for a while now: Cerner for its access to practices and patients; Elligo for its ability to execute trials in healthcare,” he told us. “In considering how to best pursue what are our largely complementary goals, it became apparent that a close partnership backed by an investment from Cerner made the most sense for both sides.”
The partners of the collaboration intend to help accelerate clinical research timeframes, make clinical trials more broadly and easily accessible and reduce the costs associated with bringing a therapy to market. Potthoff commented that the work stands to increase clinical research diversity and inclusion.
“Most clinical trials are executed in large, urban areas with homogenous trial populations, which offer insights that may not be broadly applicable to all patients in need of the therapies,” Potthoff said. “Clinical trial resources can offer funded research opportunities for healthcare organizations as well as access to trial therapies for patients who need it most, including those in minority populations and rural communities.”
Cerner president Donald Trigg said his company has stepped up efforts to improve clinical research since the start of the year.
“We launched a bold push with our provider clients to change the pace and cost of clinical trials; today, 51 health systems are part of our Learning Health Network,” Trigg said. “Elligo shares our passion for making clinical trial opportunities accessible to every provider and patient. Our collaboration will accelerate that shared mission in the quarters ahead.”
Many US health systems face significant challenge in their studies, including patient recruitment, costs and access to clinical trial resources. Cerner and Elligo intend to focus on working to reduce those obstacles to make clinical trials more within reach.
“Together, Cerner and Elligo will broadly focus on helping reduce inequities in diverse population experience in clinical research participation,” Potthoff explained. “Through this collaboration, both companies will use their individual and shared resources to help make participation in research more accessible to diverse populations by making clinical trials a reality for any health system, hospital, and physician — no matter the size, location, or academic standing.”
