Medable, Cognizant to collaborate on decentralized trial tech
Medable has set up a partner network to simplify the deployment of decentralized clinical trials, joining companies such as Cognizant, Oracle, and PPD for the initiative.
The partner network builds on Medable’s internal work to make it easier to design and run decentralized clinical trials (DCTs) through the use of a digital platform. Medable’s partners flesh out the offering, for example by providing expertise in trial deployment and the integration of real-world health records.
While the formal Medable Partner Network is new, the DCT software provider has entered into a series of agreements with partners in recent years, bringing CROs, technology specialists, and data players into its orbit. The new partners disclosed alongside the network are Advanced Clinical, Cognizant, and CVS.
Avi Kulkarni, SVP for life sciences R&D at Cognizant, set out what the IT services and consulting company is bringing to the initiative, explaining that it will offer strategic advisory services, technology deployment, and global support. The goal is to deploy Medable technology at “optimal scale and efficiency”.
“Cognizant will collaborate with sponsors to help get clinical research trials off the ground quickly, bringing efficiency to the process, reducing patient burden, and ultimately bringing therapies to market faster,” said Kulkarni. “The company will also provide operational support to sponsors for regulatory submissions, safety and pharmacovigilance functions.”
Kulkarni framed Cognizant’s existing relationships with biopharma companies as a positive. As the team already has knowledge of existing systems and processes, on both an industry-wide and sponsor-specific level, it will be able to “implement the optimal platform solution specific to each sponsor,” he said.
Having set up the network, Medable is now “actively engaging exclusive, new partners,” Dr. MaryAnne Rizk, chief strategy officer of Medable, said, as part of an effort to accelerate the development of new medicines.
Medable is seeking to expand its relationships across sites and patients. Rizk continued, “We will grow our network of accredited partners who provide decentralized services from which sponsors can choose to accelerate enrollment timelines, reduce costs, boost retention, increase inclusivity, and improve outcomes for all industry stakeholders. Medable will also capture rich thought capital and insights from these leaders to help set new standards for best practices in decentralized trials and drive industry-wide innovation.”
