Startup vies to get blockchain adoption in pharma off the ground

[Image courtesy of Pixabay]

Blockchain may be arguably one of the most hyped technologies in recent memory, but the distributed ledger technology better known for its role in cryptocurrency may have significant potential in the pharma supply chain, clinical trials and beyond.

A blockchain-based initiative known as PharmaLedger has won support from prominent companies like Pfizer, Novartis, Merck & Co., Bayer and AstraZeneca.

In 2019, the FDA launched a pilot program supporting the Drug Supply Chain Security Act with the support of IBM, KPMG, Merck & Co. and Walmart.

The pandemic’s disruption of the pharmaceutical supply chain further spurred industry interest in exploring blockchain to improve logistics networks, as the Harvard Business Review observed.

Overall adoption of blockchain in pharma or the enterprise at large, however, remains at a nascent stage.

Blockchain in…

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  • May 16, 2022
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What’s really happening with clinical trial innovation?

Image courtesy of Pixabay

The clinical trial landscape has evolved significantly in the past two years. But given the quick embrace of decentralized clinical trials and growing traction of apps, digital health and other technologies in the space, it can be difficult to separate hype from reality.

To learn more about the evolving landscape, we caught up with Libbi Rickenbacher, director of strategy at 4G Clinical, to discuss the ongoing impact of the pandemic, decentralized clinical trials and other relevant trends.

Radical shifts in clinical trials?

The pandemic has undoubtedly disrupted clinical trials, leading to delays and outright cancellation of scores of studies. It may seem like a radical shift, but there was also self-preservation at work, Rickenbacher said.

“For some of those studies, maybe it was better for them to cancel,” she said. “It was very unfortunate for the patients, but you …

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  • January 27, 2022
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