This collaborative partnership will grant exchange and insights into real-time population data between both organisations and their affiliated leading cancer research centres. Novotech, the leading Asia-Pacific biotech specialist CRO, presently has offices in 11 geographies across the region, and site partnerships with over 45 key medical institutions.  

CROs provide clinical trial services for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device institutes. In the last decade, the industry has shifted the operations of clinical research from a vertical and fixed reporting model, with many in-house professionals dedicated to clinical studies, to a matrix model involving both internal and external resources, and then gradually moving a large proportion of the work to CROs. As the industrial approach to clinical research spread from the USA and Europe to most parts of the globe, the number of clinical studies increased continuously, and CROs became bigger. The pressure for tighter timelines increased; even Big Pharma started to have difficulties coping with the increased workload, leading to an increase in outsourcing.

As a provider of clinical development services across all clinical trial phases and therapeutic areas, Novotech will leverage the Oncoshot platform to understand matching populations across key clinical trial markets in the APAC region. Oncoshot provides a safe and secure insights-sharing framework where Novotech can conduct feasibilities with data-ready trial sites aggregated on the platform to enable greater ease of engagement and efficiency in starting and conducting clinical trials.

Novotech will be able to access national-level genomic screening partners such as Omico, as well as engage with leading cancer hospitals for feasibilities and continuously refreshed data that will support screening and enrolment throughout the duration of clinical trials.

"Novotech is pleased to partner with Oncoshot to enhance client data in cancer patient populations. The partnership gives Novotech and its biotech clients access to the Oncoshot platform that provides real-time information from aggregated data-ready trial sites. This supports clinical study feasibility processes," said Daniela Caiazza, senior director of clinical services and innovation at Novotech.

The crucial criteria for selecting a CRO include its service catalogue, experience, knowledge of the disease, access to patients, geographical coverage, quality management, responsiveness, staff continuity and proficiency, technology, financial stability, and pricing. By integrating the Oncoshot platform into its workflow in some of the key regions across the Asia Pacific, Novotech will be better equipped to identify sites, assess their feasibility, and identify patient geographies.