CRO

Covance launches new trial connection site for COVID-19

After signing up to work with digital clinical trials firm Medable in May, Covance is starting June by setting up a new matchmaking service for COVID-19 trial participants.

Covance, the CRO unit of medtech giant LabCorp, is launching its COVID-19 Clinical Trial Connect in the U.S. with the aim of linking people interested in pandemic tests with sponsors.

It works like this: People visiting the site for Connect will be invited to opt in to register their details, Covance explained in a statement, and the info will be used to “connect people with suitable clinical studies in their area.”

Under the service, prospective patients would be notified of studies run by Covance on behalf of a biopharma as well as those listed in ClinicalTrials.gov, it adds.

“Through COVID-19 Clinical Trial Connect, our goal is to link people interested in these clinical trials with sponsors so that together we may find solutions for this global pandemic,” said Michael Brooks, president of clinical development and commercialization solutions at Covance.

“There are currently hundreds of COVID-19-related clinical trials underway or planned to begin in the near future, and we recognize that many patients may not know how to go about finding information about a clinical trial.

“With our COVID-19 Clinical Trial Connect, we’re helping bridge the gap. We are thrilled to have the capability to directly engage with patients who would not otherwise be aware of ongoing trials and give them the opportunity to consider participation, especially at this time.”

This comes a week after Covance penned a new deal with Medable to broaden its ability to allow patients to participate in decentralized clinical trials, given the current constraints on running tests from central sites.

It follows the likes of other CROs such as IQVIA that in April kick-started a new matchmaking trial service to “accelerate treatment and vaccine development” against the COVID-19 pandemic.