Research Presented Alongside MMRF and HUMC Evaluates Opportunity for RWE to Study Patient Treatment & Outcomes in Routine Cancer Care
Boston, Mass. – December 4, 2019 – COTA, Inc., a healthcare technology company that uses real-world data (RWD) to bring clarity to cancer care, is presenting posters at the American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting & Exposition, ASH 2019, in Orlando, FL from December 7-10, 2019. Collectively, the posters review existing challenges for generating RWD and the promise of this data to support new research in cancer biology.
“The genetic environment – whether of individual patients or cancer cells – is playing an increasing role in how patients are being treated. Examining sources of real-world data in depth allows us to quickly, inexpensively test hypotheses related to the treatment of patients with specific biomarkers and their outcomes,” said Andrew Norden, MD, Chief Medical Officer at COTA.
Researchers from COTA and Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) explore challenges associated with existing methods of patient data curation to build the MMRF Registry. Despite a significant investment in electronic health records in the United States, many institutions are unable to provide relevant, research-grade clinical data in a timely, cost-free, and coded manner. A comprehensive, research-focused data abstraction process for coded data exchange is being established to support future RWD projects.
Researchers from COTA and Hackensack University Medical Center studied patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma who also had a history of prior malignancy. Using COTA’s RWD, they were able to identify an association with a prior history of cancer, especially prostate cancer, and amp(1q) in multiple myeloma. This relationship is worth further exploration of whether there is a common pathway associated with these characteristics. These findings are significant because patients with prior malignancies are often excluded from enrollment in clinical trials and rarely studied. Overall, the results reported suggest that RWD is an efficient and comparatively inexpensive tool to support research in cancer biology.
Thanks to a growing understanding and acceptance of RWD by regulatory bodies, it has been increasingly incorporated into clinical research, helping to expedite studies compared with traditional clinical trial methods alone. Rather than replacing clinical trials, these two models can complement each other to improve clinical trial design and postmarket research, allowing for a more complete picture of the patient group being studied.
Members of COTA’s Life Sciences team will be at ASH to discuss their work with the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) and Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC). Contact lifesciences@cotahealthcare.com to set up a meeting to learn more about how RWD can accelerate clinical research and ultimately reduce the cost of clinical trials.
The two posters will be exhibited in Hall B, Level 2 on Monday, December 9, 2019, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM and Saturday, December 7, 2019, 5:30 PM-7:30 PM.
About COTA, Inc.
Founded by doctors, engineers and data scientists, COTA is committed to bringing a patient first approach to cancer care through the use of real-world evidence. The Company organizes fragmented, often hidden data from the real world to provide clarity in cancer care. Combining clinical expertise in cancer with proprietary technology and advanced analytics, COTA helps inform decisions and action in oncology. COTA partners with providers, payers, and life science companies to ensure that everyone touched by cancer has a clear path to the right care. To learn more about COTA and how to make better decisions with the right data, visit cotahealthcare.com.
