Cambridge Healthtech Institute’s 10th Annual
Protocol Development, Global Site Selection, Feasibility and Site Management
Improving Outcomes through Patient-Centric Trial Design, Modeling and Execution
February 19-20, 2020
Analytics-driven global site selection, an optimized protocol development and feasibility assessment process, and effective site management are critical to improving clinical trial timelines and outcomes. Too often companies fail to learn from past mistakes
and take the same approach to protocol development, trial planning, and execution. To overcome challenges in clinical trial design, planning, operations, and management, leaders should learn from the best practices of their peers, utilize data and
analytics to support decision making, and improve communication and relationships between Sites, CROs, and Sponsors. CHI’s 10th Annual “Protocol Development, Global Site Selection, Feasibility and Site Management” will cover the
topics one should consider when planning and implementing a data-driven and patient-centered trial.
Stay on and attend Part 2 (Thurs-Fri): Improving Study Start-Up, Site Activation and Trial Performance
Final Agenda
Tuesday, February 18
9:00 am - 7:15 pm Registration Open (Regency Rotunda)
2:00 - 5:00 pm User Group Meetings
2:00 - 5:00 pm The NEW SCOPE China Clinical Development Partnering Forum and The NEW SCOPE Scientific
Symposium*
*Separate registration required. Must be a Best Value registered attendee.
5:00 - 6:20 pm Evening Kick-Off Plenary Keynote and Participant Engagement Awards (Regency Ballroom S)
6:20 - 7:30
pm SCOPE’s Kick-Off Networking Happy Hour (Upper Pool Deck, 4th Floor)
(Co-Sponsorship Opportunities Available)
7:30 pm Close of Day
Wednesday, February 19
7:15 am Registration Open (Regency Rotunda) and Morning Coffee (Regency Ballroom S Foyer)
8:15 Morning Opening Plenary Keynotes with Light Refreshments (Regency Ballroom S) provided by 
9:40 Grand Opening Coffee Break in the Exhibit Hall (Windermere Ballroom)
Regency Ballroom U
10:40 Chairperson’s Remarks
Bazgha
Qutab, Associate Principal, ZS
10:45 The Direct-to-Patient Approach for Trial Design and Planning: The Feasibility of Adopting a DTP Model
Antonieta
Sosa, Director, Janssen Clinical Innovation
Explore key factors that need further understanding in the direct-to-patient model and look at what aspects of the model have to be vetted with key functional groups such as regulatory, legal, quality, and health care compliance. Revisit key
factors to determine when a virtual, hybrid or traditional model is the best approach or fit for a clinical trial, therapeutic area and overall success of the trial.
11:15 CO-PRESENTATION: Augmented Reality (AR)/Virtual Reality (VR) Simulations to Incorporate Site and Patient Insights on Protocol Design
Brendan O’Neill, Senior Director, Patient Recruitment Programs, Clinical Development & Operations, Global Product Development, Pfizer
Anders Gronstedt, PhD, President, Gronstedt Group
In this presentation, Pfizer will share their approach on incorporating site and patient input into protocol designs using protocol simulations. Protocol simulations have provided key insights to avoid study operation pitfalls and prepare
our sites for study execution. Pfizer has partnered with sites around the globe to build this capability and will co-present with a site to share their experience to date.
11:45 The Benefits of Cloud-Based, Digital Protocol Development
Kyle Holen, MD,
Head, Development Design Center, Research and Development, AbbVie
Digitizing a protocol into discrete common core elements and making it available in a cloud-based environment allows for seamless transfer of information as well as customized analytics on how the process can be improved. Further, data on
protocol development can also be used to create predictive algorithms to inform the risk of protocol amendments, post production changes, delays in budgets and ethics approvals.
12:15 pm CO-PRESENTATION:
Are your Traditional Protocol Design and Recruitment Methods Missing the Mark?
Earl Seltzer, Senior Director, Global Feasibility at Covance, Covance
Loni Branon, Senior Director, Citeline’s Sitetrove, Pharma Intelligence-Informa
Rising clinical trial protocol complexity and competition for sites, investigators, and patients are contributing to increasing trial timelines and costs. Identifying strategies for optimizing a trial protocol at all stages is essential
to ensuring your protocol is feasible and on the path to success. Please join us in reviewing how protocol feedback and customized recruitment tactics can help keep your clinical trial on track.
12:45 Transition to Lunch
12:50 Luncheon Presentation: The 800-Pound Gorilla: Stop Ignoring ADHERENCE when Designing and Executing Trials
Tom Rhoads, CEO, Spencer
Health Solutions
Poor adherence has a direct impact on clinical trial outcomes, increasing the variability of the measurements; thereby decreasing your ability to make decisions at the end of a study. Even patient involvement in protocol design, and
evolved D2P settings cannot deliver a successful trial in the face of poor adherence. CEO Tom Rhoads explains why all the protocol improvements in the world won't matter unless you tackle the 800-pound gorilla - adherence.
1:20 Coffee and Dessert Break in the Exhibit Hall (Windermere Ballroom)
Regency Ballroom U
2:15 Chairperson’s Remarks
George Tiger, Vice President, Global - Business
Development, Almac Group
2:20 CO-PRESENTATION: Designing a Feasibility Intelligence Platform to Merge Advanced Analytics, Data Science Modeling, and Clinical Insights
Michelle Everill, Senior Director, Head of Global Feasibility, Janssen
Romit Shahani, Associate Principal, ZS Associates
This co-presentation will share a case study that details the building of a feasiblity intelligence tool that merges advanced analytics, data science modeling, and clinical insights. The reasons behind it, the roadblocks encountered
during development and implementation, and the successes acheived will be shared by two members of the team, each of whom had a different role in the story.
2:50 CO-PRESENTATION: Challenges and Successes in Building and Implementing a Data-Driven Site Selection Approach
Sandra Smyth, Global Feasibility & Site Intelligence Director, AstraZeneca
Gabriela Feldberg, Practice Leader, Applied Analytics & Artificial Intelligence, AstraZeneca
In an environment of growing complexity, the need to utilize advanced analytical techniques is more pressing now than ever to ensure selection of the optimal investigators for a study. This presentation will be a lively discussion
sharing the challenges and successes in building and implementing data-driven site selection to ensure the teams have the meaningful information needed, at the time needed, to make the best decisions for their studies.
3:20 Paradigm Shifters for Site Selection: Are We Looking at the Right Site Attributes to Build Predictive Algorithms and Analytics Platforms?
Oriol Serra, MBA, Head, Site Intelligence & Selection, Global Product Development, Pfizer
Are past historical site metrics a good predictor of future performance? Can we look at other site attributes traditionally not factored into feasibility analysis? This presentation will provide a real-world demonstration
on how a new methodology can improve transparency and collaborative efforts to optimize study execution and build new relationships with otherwise often overlooked investigators.
3:50 Shiny New Objects: Can Technology Driven Solutions Engage Patients Better?
Erica Prowisor, Global Head, Recruitment & Retention, Global Patient & Site Solutions, IQVIA
Patient recruitment continues to be a challenge for clinical studies, but can new technology and approaches drive better interaction and engagement with patients? We’ll discuss industry progress with technology
along with the Patient input and focus required to increase Patient Engagement and improve the Patient Journey.
4:20 Find Your Table and Meet Your Moderator
For more details on the Breakout Discussions: https://www.scopesummit.com/breakouts
4:25 Interactive Breakout Discussion Groups
Concurrent breakout discussion groups are interactive, guided discussions hosted by a facilitator or set of co-facilitators to discuss key issues presented earlier in the day’s sessions. Delegates will join
a table of interest and become an active part of the discussion. Bring your pharma, biotech, CRO, site, hospital or patient perspective to each of the discussions. To get the most out of this interactive session
and format, please come prepared to share examples from your work, vet some ideas with your peers, be a part of group interrogation and problem solving, and most importantly, participate in active idea sharing.
5:10 Welcome Reception in the Exhibit Hall (Windermere Ballroom)
(Co-Sponsorship Opportunities Available)
6:45 Close of Day
Thursday, February 20
7:15 am Registration Open (Regency Rotunda)
7:45 BREAKFAST PRESENTATION: Navigating the Patient Journey: A Responsibility all Technology Providers Share (Regency Ballroom T)
Mike Nolte, Chief Executive Officer, Signant Health
8:15 Session Break
8:20 Chairperson’s Remarks
John
Musante, Senior Vice President, Head, Clinical Business Development, QPS
8:25 Engaging with Patients in Design and Execution of Trials: Ways to Make Clinical Trials More Patient-Centric
David Leventhal, Senior Director, Clinical Innovation, Global
Product Development, Pfizer
To provide more effective ways to engage with patients in the design and execution of clinical studies, TransCelerate’s Patient Experience Initiative developed tools in collaboration with Patients, Sites,
Sponsors and CROs. Learn more about how the publicly-available Patient Protocol Engagement Toolkit and Study Protocol Feedback Questionnaire Toolkit may lead to greater patient engagement and partnership between
patients and sponsors to design and execute clinical protocols that create better patient experiences.
8:40 Protocol Development in Collaboration with Educated Patient Advocates
Maya Zlatanova, Co-founder, FindMeCure Foundation
Eupati (European Patients’ Academy) and FindMeCure Foundation are working on a mutual project to help match experienced patient advocates with sponsors and CROs who are looking for help with protocol development.
We identified the clear need for preparing the industry for gathering feedback and a way to implement it, and at the same time educate patients on how to provide actionable feedback. The synergy between both
will bring new generation protocols that are better aligned with patients’ needs.
8:55 NEW: EHR Trial Strategy, Implementation and Case Studies
Marie Eckerd, Feasibility and Recruitment Partner, Director, AstraZeneca
Electronic health records (EHR) are the new norm to drive decision making from early data mining through patient recruitment in clinical trials. End-to-end experience is limited as both sponsors and sites initiate
new workstreams covering site engagement, data queries, resources, and geographic presence. AZ will present a year-long overview of how EHR is embedded throughout clinical development to drive patient-centered
decisions.
9:25 Successful Strategic Partnerships Between CROs and Pharma: Methodology to Improve Data-Driven Global Site Selection
Julia Andrews, Strategic Feasibility Manager, Program Delivery, UCB
CROs are important future gatekeepers for investigative sites and patients. During this session we’ll discuss key practices to effectively collaborate with your strategic CRO partner during feasibility to
build a site list, select high quality sites and improve communication and relationships between Sites, CROs, and Sponsors.
9:55 Randomization Methodology Implementation of Basket, Umbrella, and Platform Designs
Jennifer Ross, Lead Biostatistician, Almac Group
The Randomization set-up of innovative trials, such as Basket, Umbrella and Platform designs, should consider initial Randomization requirements as well as future possible adaptations. This presentation will show
how collaboration is essential amongst the key stakeholders (including Biostatisticians from study/sponsor, vendor(s), IDMC / Bayesian, and clinical manager from Sponsor and CRO) during the design phase to ensure
the initial Randomization scheme is implemented to meet the initial, mid-term and long-term goals of the study.
10:25 Coffee Break in the Exhibit Hall (Windermere Ballroom)
11:20 Chairperson’s Remarks
Valeria Nicoli-Carr, Global Director, Patient Services, Patient Services, mdgroup
11:25 CASE STUDY CO-PRESENTATION: Performing Study Feasibility at the Site -- The Right Study at the Right Time
Lisa Tindell, RN, Senior Director, Clinical Research Operations, Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation (MHIF)
Tamara O’Black, JD, Senior Director, Compliance, Quality & Regulatory, Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation (MHIF)
Each year, MHIF successfully launches over 30 new studies and enrolls nearly 600 patients. As an independent, non-profit research center, our infrastructure supports application of an established, comprehensive
feasibility process to swiftly assess new study opportunities in a systematic fashion. We’ll discuss the critical steps necessary to effectively evaluate new studies and the robust metrics that illustrate
our success.
11:55 INTERACTIVE PANEL: New Methods for Predicting Site Performance: Looking Beyond the PI to Ensure Speed and Quality
Moderator: Jim Kremidas, Executive Director, ACRP
Jonathan Rowe, PhD, Associate Principal, ZS Associates
David Burrow, PharmD, JD, Director, Office of Scientific Investigations, Office of Compliance, CDER, FDA
The clinical research community struggles with site selection and accurately predicting site performance. Many assumptions on which sites will deliver are off as is our understanding for the reasons. This panel
will delve deeper into this and will discuss:
- PIs are responsible for the trial conduct but who really makes things happen?
- What are the “best practices” for assessing site support staff?
- What determines who the PI selects to provide support in conducting a protocol?
12:25 pm Transition to Lunch
12:30 BRIDGING LUNCHEON PRESENTATION: Humanizing Patient Engagement through Behavioral Sciences
David Kiger, Chief Commercial Officer, Datacubed Health
During this presentation, we will describe the advantages of modern design and UX (user experience) concepts, like those used in consumer apps. We will show how these standard modern approaches yield a more
rewarding patient-centric experience. We will describe several innovative concepts used to nudge and track patients, to create a 360-degree experience for participants, clinical sites, and primary care physicians.
1:00 Coffee and Dessert Break in the Exhibit Hall (Windermere Ballroom)
2:00 Close of Conference
Stay on and attend Part 2: Improving Study Start-Up, Site Activation and Trial Performance