DIA 2018, held at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center this past June brought in thousands of innovators and experts in pharma from around the world.
We heard from the Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at NIH, Nora D. Volkow, MD on the opioid crisis. The economic burden of prescription opioid misuse is more than $78 billion, yet there is still a large need for pain management therapies in the U.S., with more than 25 million Americans suffering from chronic pain.
Global markets were a large topic of conversation at the show. We heard about global development from Alberto Grignolo, PhD, Corporate Vice President, PAREXEL, who shared best practices for using expedited pathways in established and emerging markets. Japan’s position as an emerging market was also widely discussed, with specific attention to its unique regulatory market. Brexit and its implications on the world’s pharmaceutical market was another global theme central to this year’s conference.
Given DIA’s focus on innovation, many sessions and show-floor conversations centered around technology and its impact on all aspects of pharma, including commercial success, clinical development, and the collection and application of real-world evidence. In line with the conference’s focus on innovation, at the show we learned through Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) research commissioned by PAREXEL that drug development innovations including adaptive, patient-centric, precision and real-world data trials positively impact clinical trial timelines, market launch likelihood, and patient access. However, despite their proven impact, these innovations are not yet widely adopted.
