Almirall joins IMI-backed data utilization project
Almirall has joined an Innovative Medicines Initiative-driven effort to develop a framework for access and clinical data utilization.
The Spain-based pharmaceutical firm announced its participation in program, known as FACILITATE – the FrAmework for ClInicaL trIal participants’ daTA reutilization for a fully Transparent and Ethical ecosystem, last week.
Almirall project leader Diego Herrera said, “the launch of facilitate further advances patient empowerment in clinical trials.
“At Almirall, we are excited to contribute to this patient-driven IMI project with our solid experience in clinical trials and our commitment to ethics and transparency. This project is fully aligned with our patient-centricity strategy aimed at improving their quality of life.”
Patient data
The project – which was approved by the IMI Joint Undertaking in 2021 - is designed to help return the clinical trial data to the study participants, ready for reuse in either further research or in healthcare practice.
Professor Johanna Blom from the University of Modena-Reggio Emilia, who is vice-coordinator of the program, said the project “builds on the collaborative efforts of many public and private partners and has the purpose to manage the return of individual clinical trial data in a trusted legal and ethical environment.
“Leveraging on a patient's needs, FACILITATE aspiration is to develop a prototype process which enables the return of clinical trial data during and after the clinical trial and allows for the secondary use of that data” Blom said.
EU program
Almirall joins other project participants including patient associations, hospitals, universities, innovative small and medium-sized enterprises, and members of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA).
Other drug companies that have signed up to the program include Sanofi, Abbvie, Pfizer and AstraZeneca. Trial technology firm Medidata is also taking part.
The project is supported by a €6.9 million budget co-funded by the European Union and EFPIA under the Innovative Medicines Initiative Joint Undertaking program.
Unsplash/octadan