Pharmaceutical Industry Turns to the Internet
andersenconsulting.com
Mar 13 2000: The Internet is revolutionizing the pharmaceutical industry, according to a new report from Andersen Consulting.
Internet-based technologies will enable top pharmaceutical companies to quadruple the number of drugs they launch each year. The time it takes to bring a drug to market from the initial testing period should be cut by a third as testing procedures are speeded up.
Current procedures for clinical trials are fragmented and involve vast amounts of paperwork. Online research tools, in particular, will help to save time during clinical trials.
Electronic communication and data analysis will also make the process faster and drug regulatory agencies will also be able to make decisions more quickly.
The report, ?Speed to Value: Delivering on the Quest for Better Medicines?, predicts that the Internet will allow consumers to have more influence on drug developers and regulators. Online applications will also allow pharmaceutical companies to streamline their global order fulfillment capabilities.
The New eParadigm
The speed of the Web will soon transform clinical trials from laborious exercises in paperwork and patient recruitment into an efficient exchange of electronic communication, data analysis and expedited regulatory agency review of new drug applications, according to the Andersen Consulting report.
Consistent with these findings, Andersen Consulting believes the future of successful drug development will be driven by five key components, all of which depend on effective use of the Internet:
* Informed and involved consumers exerting influence on drug developers, regulators and payers
* Pharmaceutical company "ownership" of disease categories (e.g., diabetes, hypertension, etc.) through therapeutic knowledge, a deep understanding of patient needs and direct dialogue with consumers and caregivers
* Science-based knowledge capital used to improve product selection, clinical trial design and regulatory decision processes
* eEnabled clinical trial models that use netsourcing partners to streamline and speed trial administration and data management
* Global regulatory alignment to expedite cost-effective product development and delivery worldwide. |
