The Drug Information Association (DIA) 2022 Global Annual Meeting takes place in Chicago, Illinois, this June 19 through 23. This year’s meeting is an in-person event as well as being available online.
At the DIA Global Annual Meeting, experts join forces to explore the challenges facing the life sciences community and those who work within it. The meeting includes an orientation session for new graduates and new professionals in the field, as well as a host of events for industry professionals, regulators, academics, researchers and others who work in the life sciences.
Here are some of the events we’re most excited about at the DIA 2022 Global Annual Meeting.
Implementing Innovative Patient and Site Engagement Strategies for More Predictable Outcomes
On Monday, June 20 from 11:50 a.m. to 12:20 p.m., Advanced Clinical executives Stacey Arrambide, Donna Hanson and Caroline Redeker host this installment in the Exhibit Hall Theater #2 as part of the innovations series at DIA 2022.
Here, the presenters offer real-life case studies that focus on the ways in which innovative engagement strategies have improved design, predictability, and success in clinical trials. Topics include study-specific strategies, innovation for better patient engagement, and using decentralized clinical trial components in thoughtful and novel ways.
New Tools for Creating Flexible and Sustainable Master Protocols
For professionals attending DIA 2022 to address continuing education requirements, this session on Monday, June 20 from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. may prove useful. In this session, the presenters explore the TransCelerate Common Protocol Template and its use as a framework for developing master protocols.
Although master protocols play a key role in enabling innovative and complex clinical trials, they can also be difficult to review due to their highly detailed nature. Their complexity can make it difficult to implement them to their best effect. In this session, the presenters discuss ways to identify top considerations in preparing a master protocol, putting the Common Protocol Template to work, and using the IMI EU-PEARL integrated research platform framework in conjunction with a master protocol template to set up a platform trial.
The chair for this session is Nancy Tam, head of medical writing at Pfizer. Presenters Madhavi Gidh-Jain, head of medical writing at Sanofi, and Kathryn Hersh, associate director, regulatory medical writing, immunology at Johnson & Johnson also contribute their perspectives.
Keeping Passion for Project Management Alive
Project managers play a key role in clinical trials, medical affairs and related fields. Yet the role can at times feel like more of a burden than a benefit. In this session, join Malini Maysuria of Merck & Co. and Larissa Wilsie of Daiichi Sankyo as they explore ways to assess one’s own growth as a project manager, identify areas of development and skill-building, open up new paths for career growth, and create a concrete action plan with your career goals in mind and a time frame in which to reach them.
The session takes place from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Tuesday, June 21. It also helps to fulfill several continuing education components in various industries.
Improving Safety Data Through Innovative Use of Technology
Technology offers a wealth of opportunities for improving the clinical trial process and enhancing patient care. Yet these tools are only as helpful as the effort that goes into implementing them effectively.
On Tuesday, June 21 from 4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m., DIA 2022 attendees can explore ways in which innovative uses of technology can help improve safety data. The speakers share their experience in the form of a case study that highlights key challenges and opportunities in the application of technologies to bolster safety and implement industry standard practices to improve overall processes.
Presenters include Sameen Desai of Bristol Myers Squibb, Alan Hochberg of Roche, Seth Krevat of MedStar and Bakul Patel of the FDA.
Mission-Driven Research Partners: How Patient Advocacy Organizations Can Help Advance Your Therapeutic R&D Programs
Patient advocacy organizations (PAOs) seek to help patients in a number of ways, including by providing services and support to advance research and development that may benefit the patients they represent. As a result, clinical trials that work with PAOs can create mutually beneficial relationships.
On Wednesday, June 22, 2022 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., session chair Hollie Schmidt, vice president of scientific operations at the Accelerated Cure Project, leads the discussion. Topics include how to identify PAOs that offer the right fit for a clinical trial, how working with PAOs compares to working with traditional CROs and academic partners, and how to build PAO relationships that will create more efficient clinical trial development and execution.
Speakers include Danielle Kerkovich of the International Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Association (IFOPA), Melissa Dupont of Sanofi, and Richard Mohs, chief scientific officer at the Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation.
Ensuring Diversity in Clinical Trials
Diversity in clinical trials is more than merely a “nice to have.” Diversity among patient groups is essential for understanding how a medical intervention will fare among the human population as a whole. Also, diversity among clinical and research staff brings a host of perspectives to the table, allowing the team to better understand and address concerns during the clinical trial process.
In this hour-long session on Wednesday June 22, 2022 starting at 11 a.m., participants can gain continuing education credits while exploring original research on the effects of diversity among clinical and research sites, as well as the impact of disparities across investigative sites throughout the world. Presenters will offer advice on ways to support site staff and patient diversity in clinical trials.
Presenters include Maria Florez of the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development, Esther Marfo of Roche and Alastair Noyce of Barts Health NHS Trust.
Nuts and Bolts for Trials Teams
Thursday, June 23, marks the last day of the DIA 2022 Global Annual Conference. From 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., participants can attend a forum on putting the Playbook Clinical Trials Dossier to work to deploy digital clinical measures in a clinical trial. These measures can help clinical trial teams make better decisions more quickly.
In this session, participants will explore optimal approaches to selecting, developing and deploying meaningful digital clinical measures in their research. They’ll also learn how to think about the process so they’re asking the right questions at the right times. Finally, the session will focus on using the Playbook Clinical Trials Dossier to manage the needs and expectations of diverse stakeholders in planning for and running a clinical trial.
This session is chaired by Jeanne Chung of Digital Medicine Society (DiMe). Speakers include Matt Biggs of ActiGraph, Jie Ren of Merck and Jessica Robin of Winterlight Labs.