Perceptive eases eClinical integration in new EDC

05-Apr-2011 - Last updated on 06-Apr-2011 at 15:51 GMT

Related tags Edc Clinical trial Clinical research Better

Perceptive Informatics has improved support for complex trials and eased eClinical integration of its EDC as it looks to grow market share.

Enhancements to DataLabs 5.0 EDC (electronic data capture) are focused on boosting clinical trial efficiency, either through direct product improvements or better integration. By making these changes Perceptive, and its parent company Parexel, aim to make up ground on EDC rivals.

“I think there's no secret it was not a leading product”, Mark Goldberg, chief operating officer at Parexel, told Outsourcing-Pharma. When creating 5.0 Perceptive attempted to resolve issues limiting use of the product, said Goldberg, while also looking to advance beyond its rivals.

To achieve this Perceptive is drawing on the strength of its eClinical portfolio. “Interoperability is a differentiator”, said Goldberg. Perceptive has worked to link its EDC to the rest of its eClinical suite.

For example, users can now access the Perceptive randomisation and trial management (RTSM) system or enrol a patient from within its EDC. Different tools also communicate with each other, so a change made within the RTSM will trigger a dynamic patient visit within the EDC.

Underpinning this strategy is the belief that when technology reaches a certain point in development only small improvements are possible. Once this stage is reached the ease of integrating different products becomes very valuable to users.

5.0 features

The new EDC provides better support for complex clinical trials, such as studies of oncology treatments, by simplifying certain areas. For example, the display is simplified through use of context-sensitive forms that only show relevant questions.

Other features include: a web-based study design tool; export functionality to extract data; a reporting engine; and search capabilities. Perceptive has also made DataLabs 5.0 available on a software-as-a-service (SaaS) basis in response to increased client interest in this model.

“People are now much more comfortable with SaaS”, said Goldberg. Having overcome concerns related to data security companies are increasingly looking to SaaS to reduce risk and cut fixed costs.