Labcorp has teamed with ConcertAI to use the latter’s technology to optimize clinical trials of candidate cancer drug therapies.
The partnership – financial terms of which were not disclosed – will see Labcorp use artificial intelligence software to aid clinical trial design, protocol optimization, site selection and study execution activities.
The firms will also incorporate real-world data into the optimization process.
The plan to analyze patient availability at cancer centers worldwide to ensure that the design of a trial contains a diverse set of participants to measure drug safety and effectiveness in broadly representative populations.
Oncology
The decision to focus on oncology reflects the complex nature of cancer drug studies according to Prasanth Reddy, senior vice president and head of oncology at Labcorp.
“Oncology is highly complex, with hundreds of molecular targets and factors across solid tumors and hematological malignancies, so the need is great for diversity in cancer trials.”
Labcorp supports more than 50% of all oncology clinical studies globally according to Reddy, who predicted the partnership would “optimize trial design, improve patient access, and increase efficiency of oncology trials.”
The partnership follows less than a year after Labcorp launched an “oncology platform” that combines drug development services and diagnostic testing.
It also comes six months after ConcertAI partnered with the Quality Cancer Care Alliance Network (QCCA) – which claims to be the first integrated network of community oncology practices in the US.
Under the deal, ConcertAI is using its technologies to support “digital” clinical trials in which the QCCA is involved.
AI deals
The ConcertAI deal is also the second artificial intelligence focused agreement Labcorp has signed in as many years.
In September 2020 the firm partnered with Chicago, Illinois based software developer Tempus in an accord designed to accelerate patient recruitment in oncology trials.
Labcorp did not respond to a request for more information.
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