Two physicians from Austria’s Medical University of Vienna (MedUni Vienna) have developed the Preferrix digital tool to enhance clinical trial access.
The tool aids in directly connecting doctors with trial centres. It is tailored to enable the exchange of research data.
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Operated by MedUni Vienna spin-off Dayotec, the platform aims to provide countrywide access to trials for subjects.
According to the university, the tool, which resulted from various years of development with IT company Cyberschmiede, is currently in practice.
It is intended to be a disease-agnostic solution, meeting the needs of individuals, attending physicians, and trial centres.
Physicians who are performing the treatment can register, review current trial protocols, and also register potential trial subjects. Trial centres are also able to view and contact suitable candidates.
Initially focused on rheumatology in Vienna, the platform’s technical suitability allows it to be used across all medical specialities, and it is expanding beyond its initial scope.
The founders, Daniel Aletaha and Josef Smolen from the Department of Medicine III, Clinical Division of Rheumatology, envision Preferrix becoming a nationwide system and eventually spreading throughout the European region.
Aletaha said: “Under-recruitment is currently the most significant threat to Austria as a study location. With Preferrix, we are not only making recruitment easier but also making Austria more attractive overall for international study operators.”
Under the agreement, the university has the right to use the platform at no cost for its own sponsored studies.
Dayotec was founded by Aletaha and Smolen to transform the networking between clinical trial centres and general practitioners.
Smolen said: “We are closing a critical gap in the healthcare system. Until now, patients treated at specialised outpatient clinics were the main ones to have access to innovative therapies in clinical studies. With Preferrix, we are changing that fundamentally.”
