Section 1.1: Enhancing Speed and Efficiency

Leveraging cutting-edge digital technologies, automation, and remote access, the SIP connects clinical trial investigators with sponsors such as research institutions and biopharmaceutical companies. This innovative platform introduces a digital methodology that enhances the speed and efficiency of delivering new vaccines and treatments to the market. Historically, the clinical trial process, which has its roots in the 1940s, has been a cumbersome administrative task that deterred over half of clinical investigators from engaging in more than one trial. Many cite the extensive time commitment required for trial implementation as a significant barrier, particularly for independent practitioners in smaller medical facilities.

Today, digital solutions like SIP have the potential to alleviate many of these burdens, streamlining processes, cutting down on repetitive paperwork, minimizing human errors, and accelerating the initiation of clinical trials. For instance, one global biopharmaceutical firm reduced its regulatory submission timeline from 65 days to just nine, thereby expediting its study by two months.

Section 1.2: Fostering Diverse Patient Populations

Thanks to platforms like SIP, researchers are increasingly willing to conduct multiple clinical trials, even beyond the United States, thereby enhancing the diversity of trial participants. Currently, SIP boasts over 110,000 users across 84 nations, with thousands hailing from small clinical practices—an unprecedented figure that is doubling each year. The platform also empowers investigators to modify therapeutic protocols in real time to align with local conditions.

Srinivas Shankar, Cognizant’s Global Head of Life Sciences overseeing SIP, stated, “By granting access to a broader array of clinical practices, we enhance the chances for more diverse patient populations to engage in clinical trials. This increased diversity is crucial to ensure that groups most likely to use a specific medication are adequately represented in trials prior to a drug's market entry.”

With the ongoing need for rapid and safe therapies, particularly in socially distant settings, digital solutions appear to be the way forward. SIP participants found their research efforts largely uninterrupted by the pandemic, with usage of the platform soaring.

Between April and August 2020, the fully digital platform witnessed a twofold increase in active studies, reaching nearly 1,200, along with a 30% rise in users during the same timeframe. This growth signifies that, despite the pandemic's global repercussions, research into various diseases, including cancers and chronic conditions, has persisted.

“The future may hold uncertainties, but the possibilities afforded by digital technology will keep our pursuit of cures moving forward,” remarked Shankar. “Our Shared Investigator Platform plays a pivotal role in developing new vaccines and therapies. By connecting the world and enhancing collaborative efficiency, digital clinical trials pave the way for global partnerships that could lead to significant advancements in life sciences.”