IQVIA teams with UK patient data hub Breathe

IQVIA has teamed up with UK Government-backed data hub Breathe to improve the diagnosis of respiratory disorders.

Under the agreement, IQVIA will provide Breathe with access to its health data technology, real world and genomic capabilities and care pathway analytics systems to “harness its expertise in cancer data to make earlier lung cancer diagnoses and accelerate care.”

According to the CRO, respiratory disease affects one in five people and is the third biggest cause of death in England, as well as being a major factor in winter pressures faced by the National Health Services (NHS).

The annual economic burden of asthma and COPD alone on the NHS in the UK is estimated as £3 billion ($4.1 billion) and £1.9 billion, respectively. In total, all lung conditions, including lung cancer, directly cost the NHS in the UK £11 billion each year.

Improved diagnostics will help reduce this burden according to Angela McFarlane, senior market development director at IQVIA.

“We are very excited to be working with Breathe to catalyze the power of the UK’s uniquely rich health data to bring about step-change improvements in diagnosis and treatment of respiratory conditions and to attract more research that will accelerate the discovery of innovative medicines and the optimal use of existing NICE-approved treatments.”

Breathe director Aziz Sheikh said: “Respiratory conditions affect a huge proportion of the UK population – 1 in 5 people live with a long-term respiratory disease. The application of non-identified health data can help us to deliver better outcomes for these patients, more efficiently, at a lower cost.

“We’re thrilled to welcome IQVIA as a supporting partner, with the prospect of informing earlier and more accurate diagnoses for patients across the UK.”

Patient data

Breathe is a “health data research hub” that warehouses UK patient data. It is backed by the UK Research and Innovation's Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund and coordinated by Health Data Research UK.

It is one of seven such hubs set up by Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his government to facilitate “the safe and responsible use of respiratory health data at scale, sparking research and innovation for the benefit of UK patients.”

Financial terms of the agreement with IQVIA were not provided.

Image: iStock/Tero Vesalainen