How can big pharma reach the digital tipping point without tipping over

The biggest of the digital buzz words – “big data” has all industries clamoring to figure out the best way to use analytics to make better business decisions. Big pharma can’t be left behind

in this conversation. A new survey from McKinsey & Company suggests that executives in various industries are reaching for and spending on new digital initiatives. They've reached a digital tipping point; ideas and objectives include new ways to find business efficiency
through technology. The McKinsey survey does not single out the pharma industry but there are ways the pharma can participate in the growing adoption of digital technologies and big data analytics.

• Drug discovery - Thousands of clinical trials for countless drug candidates over the years have produced databases full of information about compounds and patients and the interactions between them – successes and failures. Historically, companies have kept all of that proprietary data under wraps. But GlaxoSmithKline and analytics company SAS joined in a partnership to liberate that data. Other pharmas should follow. Anonymized patient data is now available to researchers to study, learn and share. Who knows? Maybe work that was done on a failed compound years ago can steer another pharma to a new breakthrough therapy.

• Clinical trials - From electronic data capture to clinical trials management systems, technology has swiftly replaced or automated many of the pieces of clinical trials that were handled with pen, paper, clipboards or spreadsheets. But recruiting for trials is notoriously challenging both acquiring patients and investigators. Contract research giant Quintiles recruits patients through an online patient community consisting of more than 2.5 million patients. Pharmas and other CROs could well do the same. Why? People are ever increasing the amount of time they spend online. If pharmas want patients for clinical trials, they’ve got to go where the patients are. What about investigators? Can technology play a role in finding, locating physicians, or even managing investigators? Transcelerate Biopharma, not-for-profit organization that has membership with 19 major drug companies, focuses on solving R&D challenges and improving delivery of medicine. They are currently working on a shared investigator platform that will help accelerate the development of drugs. This collaboration platform will greatly improve the mundane process’ that all pharma companies and investigators encounter.

• Drug Monitoring - Just as clinical trial recruitment is helped by a digitized patient population, monitoring patients during clinical trials can also benefit from digitized patients. Wearable technology can provide real-time information about the health status of a patient. Researchers at Duke University recently published results of their own research suggesting that the ability to constantly monitor patients combined with information from electronic health records could someday replace randomized clinical trials. And improved patient monitoring will also help pharmas with post-marketing efforts. Readily available but anonymized patient data can help health care officials get a better read on the nature of a drug risk and the populations that are affected. This can greatly help companies move quickly to respond to adverse events.

The pharma industry is slowly moving toward the digital tipping point. Innovation and improving business efficiency in this industry provides greater opportunity for everyone. Handling information about pharmaceuticals and patients calls for precautions more than most industries, but that doesn't mean that pharma can't do it.

Changing Behaviors, Enabling Technologies