Facilitate Project Consortium Meets in Modena for Mid-Term Review

Modena, Spain - June 17, 2024 - The FACILITATE Project consortium recently convened in Modena, Spain for a crucial mid-term review with the European Commission (EC). The project, now in its 24th month, aims to revolutionize clinical trial data sharing by placing patients at the forefront. The consortium presented a comprehensive review of the project's achievements thus far, highlighting the significant advancements made across all work packages. Detailed discussions centered around the project's strategy for the remaining period, ensuring alignment with established goals.

Positive Feedback and Guidance from the EC

The EC representatives provided valuable feedback and expressed their support for the project's direction. This positive reinforcement serves as a strong motivator for the consortium as they push forward in the second half of the project.

Building a Patient-Centered Data Ecosystem

FACILITATE is unique in its focus on patient-centered data management. The project establishes a secure, data-driven platform that facilitates the ethical and GDPR-compliant return of clinical trial data to participants. This innovative approach stands in stark contrast to the current system, where data often remains siloed and inaccessible to patients. The project's core objective revolves around creating a platform that enables the secondary processing of clinical trial data obtained directly from participants. This aligns with the overall objective's emphasis on leveraging patient-approved data for populating existing or new trials with additional evidence. The FACILITATE consortium understands the importance of collaboration across all stakeholders in the clinical trial landscape. By actively engaging patients, healthcare professionals, software developers, and regulatory bodies, the project fosters a trusted environment for data sharing and reuse. The project's commitment to patient needs extends beyond data return. FACILITATE actively solicits participant input to ensure the platform meets their specific requirements for trust and transparency. This innovative approach paves the way for a future where clinical trials are not only more efficient but also empower patients to play a more active role in their own healthcare.

Privanova: Leading the Way in Business Sustainability

Privanova plays a key role in the project as a work package leader for Business exploitation and sustainability (WP7), in addition to its role in data management, legal compliance, project planning and communication & dissemination. WP7 focuses on ensuring the long-term viability of the FACILITATE platform beyond the project's lifespan. This will be done by defining a comprehensive business plan that outlines potential use cases, benefits for stakeholders, and potential business models. This plan will be developed through extensive consultation with industry partners, healthcare professionals, patient organizations, and regulators. A crucial aspect of this work involves understanding the needs and interests of a broad range of stakeholders. This includes analyzing the potential benefits of the FACILITATE platform for pharmaceutical companies, research institutions, regulatory bodies, and most importantly, patients themselves. By identifying these needs, Privanova can facilitate the development of a business plan that incentivizes adoption by all stakeholders involved in the clinical trial ecosystem.

Looking Ahead: A Brighter Future for Medical Research

With its focus on patient-centered data sharing and empowered stakeholders, FACILITATE represents a significant leap forward in clinical research. The four-year long project will contribute to the Horizon 2020 Open Research Data Pilot, ultimately leading to a more comprehensive understanding of diseases and the effectiveness of healthcare interventions.