How Are Emerging Biopharma and CROs Embracing eClinical Tech?
Contributing Experts at Medrio: Rod McGlashing, Data Science Subject Matter Expert; Melissa Newara, VP of eClinical Solutions and Consulting
As eClinical technologies become more proven, small biopharma organizations and CROs are paying attention to how technology can holistically support their studies.? In fact, a recent survey revealed that in over half of the studies being deployed by respondents, 98% use multiple clinical trial technologies.
In April 2024, BioPharma Dive studioID surveyed 150 people about clinical trial technology, including selection criteria, satisfaction, and utilization. The results highlight key insights into the growing importance of technology as studies get more complex.
Small biopharma companies and CROs are embracing technology in clinical research. While there is confidence that current technology is helpful, there is some doubt about how it will stack up against future research complexities. Here’s what to know.
Curious about which tools small organizations value most? Download the eClinical Technology Trends Survey Report.
Clinical Trial Technology Uptake in Phase I and Phase II
Among people using eConsent or EDC, 100% said they introduced those solutions in Phase I and II. According to the survey, solutions introduced early tend to support study operations, data management, or other foundational activities.
Technology introduced in Phase I and Phase II:
Clinical Trial Technology Uptake in Phase III and Phase IV
Meanwhile, solutions that tend to support large numbers of participants are more likely to be introduced in Phase III and IV.
These eClinical solutions include:
eClinical Technology Supports Data Quality
High-quality data is required for a clinical trial to pass regulatory inspection and move to the next phase or receive approval.?
So, it makes sense that survey respondents overwhelmingly selected “increased data quality” as a top benefit of clinical trial technologies. Companies also prioritized efficiency-related factors such as "decreased cycle time" and "decreased labor costs."
领英推荐
Biopharma and CRO stakeholders seem most excited about improvements in data
reliability—which they reported as a top future tech benefit. This insight aligns with what respondents reported about data quality and emphasizes the importance of data for years to come.?
Confidence About Current Technology Stacks
The BioPharma Dive studioID survey asked about respondents’ confidence in their organization’s existing clinical trial technologies. Most respondents expressed confidence in their current tech stack.
When asked if their tech stack could keep pace as clinical trials evolve in the future:?
“The industry’s proven ability to be nimble and adapt during the pandemic instills lasting confidence in our future,” says Rod McGlashing, Subject Matter Expert of Data Science at Medrio.
As far as future benefits of using technology in clinical research:
The Future of Clinical Trial Technology
Even though leaders seem happy with their technology, certain doubts chip away at their confidence. People expect trial technologies to evolve as studies do. However, they also doubt how well the tools will perform key future tasks.
Respondents were least confident that solutions could support emerging complexities and trends like synthetic control arms and decentralized trials.?
Melissa Newara, VP of eClinical Solutions and Consulting at Medrio, attributes these perceived gaps to a bigger, broader concern. “I think a lot of organizations are still working through what things like synthetic controls, digital twins, decentralized clinical trials, and other trial complexities mean for them and their research,” she said.
Biopharma and CRO leaders may be having doubts about whether they can evolve their strategies to support trial complexities, not necessarily whether the technology will support them.
This article only captures a few of the insights from the Clinical Trial Technology Trends Report. You can download the entire report to learn more about what decision-makers think about current vendor support, where major challenges arise, and more.