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More than 40 sponsor, CRO and site organizations gather to preview new DrugDev technology, provide valuable feedback, share best practices and network with peers at other companies

King of Prussia, PA – DrugDev believes the only way to achieve real change in clinical research is through industry-wide collaboration, standardization and a beautiful technology experience. All three tenets were on display at the 2^nd Annual DrugDev User Summit (hosted by Merck) which convened more than 100 clinical trial leaders from over 40 sponsor, CRO and site organizations to discuss innovation and the future of clinical research.

“The DrugDev User Summit was a very engaging event,” said Dawn Furey, Executive Director/Head, Global Operations, at Merck. “To be honest, I didn’t think I would stay for the entire two days given my competing priorities, but I couldn’t step away. It was great.”

Plenary and workshop sessions featured expert speakers from Merck, Janssen (last year’s host), Pfizer, Novartis, Eli Lilly, ICON, Boehringer-Ingelheim, InCyte, INC Research, Alkermes, BioMarin, Chesapeake IRB, Radiant Research, and Emerson Clinical Research Institute. Highlights from the agenda included:

• A keynote address on driving change through innovation by Andy Lee, SVP, Head of Global Clinical Trial Operations and Dawn Furey of Merck
• Insights into the crowd-sourced artwork being created as a moving tribute to clinical trial patients everywhere by Joe Kim, Senior Advisor, Clinical Innovation and Kelly McKee, Advisor, Clinical Innovation, at Eli Lilly
• Kyle McConville sharing his personal journey combating osteogenesis imperfecta as a patient in a life-changing clinical trial – and how that experience inspired him to work at DrugDev
• Customer case studies such as improving diversity enrollment, three methods for site activation, the importance of accurate forecasting, and planning and feasibility by the numbers
• A site panel open forum for active dialogue with sponsors and CROs regarding payments, processes, systems and challenges – including results from DrugDev’s 2016 global site technology survey

In addition to these engaging discussions, a key benefit of Summit was the sneak preview of upcoming DrugDev technology that will unify solutions to revolutionize how sponsors and CROs run clinical trials at a truly enterprise level. Featuring a single interface that spans functional areas and incorporates the DrugDev Golden Number, DrugDev customers will be the first to access dashboard reports, manage task lists, and track progress across hundreds of trials from one centralized and convenient resource. Attendees were buzzing about the exclusive solution, which will be officially unveiled in early 2017.

Brenda Medina, Associate Director, Head of Analytics at BioMarin said, “I already use multiple DrugDev solutions so I find real value in a unified clinical suite that ties everything together. I’m excited to see how this tool will enable the industry to really bring drugs to market faster for our patients, as time is of the essence for us in the industry, and our patients are waiting.”

Attendees also participated in hands-on technology demos, provided valuable feedback to help guide future solutions, and enjoyed social networking events to build even stronger relationships with peers.

“People who know me will be shocked at how little I have to say about the DrugDev User Summit,” said Ibraheem “Ibs” Mahmood, DrugDev President and CEO. “That’s because the beauty of the event wasn’t the agenda, which was wonderful, but rather bringing together all of these thought leaders into one room with one focused mission. That allowed me to take a step back and watch everyone share best practices, debate solutions to common challenges, and brainstorm ideas with each other. For over 100 clinical professionals to dedicate so much time to a vendor user meeting – which is bigger than some industry conferences – and then to be so engaged throughout it was a truly humbling experience. I consider it a strong testament to the impact DrugDev provides our customers, and I’ve never been more optimistic about the possibility of real change or more excited about the future of clinical research.”

The DrugDev User Summit is complimentary for the sponsors, CROs and sites that use DrugDev technology on thousands of clinical trials worldwide. Host and dates for the 2017 Summit have not yet been announced. To learn more about DrugDev’s unified clinical operations suite, visit drugdev.com.

About DrugDev

DrugDev’s unified clinical suite enables sponsors, CROs and sites to do more trials through industry-wide collaboration, standardization and a beautiful technology experience. Featuring solutions for global site payments, site identification and activation, workflow optimization, learning management, and site and patient engagement, DrugDev helps companies transform the quality and efficiency of clinical trials from startup through closeout. The company also powers the revolutionary TransCelerate Investigator Registry and Investigator Databank collaborations with the universal identifier known as the DrugDev Golden Number. Learn more at www.drugdev.com.