After many months of planning and anticipation, DIA 2022 in Chicago finally arrived. For the first time in over 2 years, colleagues, partners, and friends gathered at the Drug Information Association conference in person. And then, seemingly in the blink of an eye, the conference was over! Here are some key takeaways from ClinChoice:
Technology: Clinical technology continues to evolve and improve at an exponential pace. Featuring a wide range of solutions including EDC, ePro/eCOA, eConsent, enrollment trackers and televisits, eTMF, CTMS, data automation, data visualization and more, technology was one of the hottest topics at DIA 2022. Emerging tech in virtual reality and blockchain was also being discussed. This year’s show featured a virtual reality demonstration that was simply stunning. ClinChoice caught up with several of our valued technology partners including Medidata, Veeva, Calyx, Cloudbyz and SAS.
Decentralized trials: One of the buzzwords of the clinical development world in 2022, conversations and speaker sessions surrounding the topic of decentralized clinical trials were featured early and often. While we noticed some healthy debate over the risk of the DCT format, one thing is certain: this topic is not going away. Companies will continue to invest in improving and optimizing the decentralized clinical trial model, with the goal of providing added accessibility to patients without compromising safety and efficacy.
Leveraging partnerships: CROs, Sponsors, and clinical technology companies continue to realize the value of partnering with one another to achieve the common goal of offering the highest quality clinical solutions possible. Every company has different core competencies, so it only makes sense to leverage our strengths for the overall benefit of faster, more efficient, and higher quality drug development. This bodes well with this year’s DIA conference theme of “Innovation through Collaboration!” We are all in this together.
Final thoughts: Having the chance to come together and collaborate in person offered a sense of optimism that has rarely been felt since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Smiles were abundant throughout the conference, and the overall mood was extremely friendly and cheerful. The pandemic created one of the most challenging times in recent human history. How we learn from the past and improve is what counts. We at ClinChoice are more optimistic about the future of drug development than ever!
