Chiltern invests in endpoint to offer time & cost saving IRT
endpoint’s interactive response technology (IRT) development system, called Pulse, has been implemented by Chiltern across multiple continents to help meet clients' demands for quicker, cheaper clinical trials.
The system can reduce the time window for full deployment of a clinical study, which takes traditional interactive voice and web response system (IxRS) providers six to eight weeks, by 40 per cent, according to John Vann, executive vice president (EVP), corporate development, Chiltern.
Vann added that the benefits of Pulse include “speed of implementation, ease of changes in the country mix and the costing structure that makes these mid-course strategic adjustments a financial non-issue”.
Clients also benefit from real-time information and have been “very enthusiastic and more than satisfied” with the Pulse system, added Vann. Study sites have also been positive about the technology.
Pulse allows users to build systems from reusable elements, such as date of birth and subject ID, and create additional factors that can be implemented and saved for future use. This contrasts with other IRT which require study elements to be created for each trial, according to endpoint.
Vann explained that this is “revolutionising delivery and speed of services related to randomisation and drug distribution, which subsequently reduce the costs not only for the services themselves but for the overall drug development process”.
Attracted by these features Chiltern has invested in endpoint to become a minority shareholder. The companies will now work closely to identify opportunities for synergies across the businesses.
Chiltern has many good relationships with IVR/IWR providers, added Vann, and it will continue to use these third-party vendors to support clients’ needs.
