Later this month, experts from healthcare companies, contract research organisations (CROs), and patient advocacy groups will gather to do a deep-dive into current trends and innovations in clinical trial operations at the Outsourcing in Clinical Trials (OCT) Europe meeting in Barcelona, Spain.
Industry experts will gather at the 15th Annual OCT Europe meeting, to discuss not just the challenges in the clinical trial industry, but also patient perspectives and technology advancements. The conference is scheduled to take place 29–30 April.
The first day will commence with a keynote presentation by Jose Angel Aibar, President of the Dravet Syndrome Foundation, on the importance of integrating patient voices into clinical trial design while addressing participation burdens and ensuring post-trial drug access.
Another keynote panel with industry leaders from AstraZeneca, ICON, and Eilean Therapeutics will investigate the future of clinical trials with a spotlight on enhancing patient centricity, navigating regulatory shifts, leveraging emerging technologies, and exploring the near-term potential of artificial intelligence (AI). After the morning sessions, the event will split into three parallel streams focused on clinical trials operations and outsourcing, clinical technology and innovation and the last one on patient centricity.
Innovations to drive efficiencies in clinical research
In one discussion in the outsourcing-focused stream, Christine Mohlberg, vice president of Project Management at Novotech, Sandra Sistiaga Hernando, site engagement lead at GSK, and other experts, will explore strategies to maintain trial integrity amid disruptions. Subsequent discussions by representatives from Gilead Sciences and Worldwide Clinical Trials will discuss the importance of selecting the right trial sites and leveraging the benefits of cross-border enrollment to accelerate recruitment and enhance diversity, respectively.
At the same time, the challenges behind the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) and frameworks for eConsent will be explored under a technology-focused stream.
Patients remain at the heart of every clinical trial project, and patient centricity will be a major theme explored at this meeting. While some discussions will centre on the ways to better incorporate the patient voice into trial design, dedicated talks will explore eClinical solutions to ease patient and site burdens, patient inclusivity models, and more.
Three final sessions will run in parallel to conclude the day; one will address key challenges in clinical trials for small to mid-sized biopharma companies in Europe, an interactive session to share lessons learned from the EU Clinical Trial Regulation (CTR) implementation, and a panel discussing ways to reduce participant burden to enhance trial enrollment and completion through better communication.
Strategies to approach operational challenges
On the second day, one stream will continue to provide a platform for discussions on clinical operations and outsourcing, featuring experts from EONS, Rho, Parexel, AstraZeneca and more. Sarah Bischof, head of Clinical Development, invIOs will focus on walking through strategies for small biotechs to address financial and resource limitations, like by leveraging CRO partnerships for innovation.
The technology element will also be explored in a parallel course, sessions on the role of AI and real-world data, high-fidelity synthetic data applications, and optimisation of patient engagement through techniques such as gamification for better outcomes.
Throughout the second day, there will be sessions on technology, sustainability, and interactive roundtable discussions to explore critical industry challenges and solutions.
Before the end of the conference, the first stream will unpack clinical trial rescue strategies and ways to foster strong sponsor-CRO relationships. At the same time, other sessions will revolve around AI-powered clinical outsourcing and insights on the clinical trial landscape for 2024-2026.
The conference will end with interactive roundtable discussions, offering attendees the chance to engage directly with experts and peers to address critical industry challenges.
The 15th Annual Outsourcing in Clinical Trials Europe conference is hosted by Arena International Events Group, a B2B events company owned by GlobalData, the parent company of Clinical Trials Arena and Pharmaceutical Technology.
Click here to read the agenda for the conference.
