AmerisourceBergen’s IntrinsiQ Specialty Solutions and ION Solutions have launched a clinical trial recruitment network, bringing healthcare providers and biopharma companies together.
The network, dubbed AdvanceIQ, will be available to more than 5,300 community specialty providers in oncology and urology practices. These physicians are already part of ION Solutions, a group purchasing organization with a focus on oncology.
The process begins with practices selecting the types of research in which they would like to participate, as well as providing de-identified patient information. The idea is that when biopharma companies come to the network, they will be able to identify the practices with patients that will qualify for their specific studies. In return, physicians will gain smoother access to these studies, explained Susan Weidner, SVP at IntrinsiQ Specialty Solutions.
That means the matched practices will basically become part of a clinical trial as trial sites, and physicians there will actively participate in the trial, instead of just handing their patients over. They will receive contract management resources, ongoing research education and training and grant submission support, according to a press release.
This also means that the patients will have access to the most advanced, innovative medical treatments through a clinical trial in a community setting, Weidner added.
“The launch of AdvanceIQ Network addresses one of healthcare’s biggest challenges—access. As specialty care continues to grow, it’s critically important we create new pathways, through both innovation and partnerships, to connect patients to cutting-edge therapies found in clinical trials,” said Weidner in the release.
To help facilitate trial activities, AdvanceIQ Network will also provide supporting services, including investigator research, prospective patient registries, retrospective outcomes research studies and panel studies.
IntrinsiQ Specialty Solutions, a healthcare software provider, owns cancer treatment and workflow management software IntelliDose, and meridianSPECIALTY System, an electronic health record platform that has two versions focused on oncology and urology. It was acquired in 2011 by global pharmaceutical sourcing and distribution services provider AmerisourceBergen, currently ranked No. 12 on the Fortune 500 list.