Blog Post
First-of-Its-Kind Online Program Streamlines Clinical Research
WCG has launched a ground-breaking, joint-training program with the International Society of Atopic Dermatitis and the Oriented Patient Education Network for Dermatology (ISAD-Opened). The program – available exclusively through WCG – provides an online tool to help research investigators and study teams measure severity in atopic dermatitis (AD), a form of eczema affecting nearly 17% of adults and 22% of children worldwide.
Leveraging Industry Expertise
The collaboration supports an innovative, holistic approach to managing this chronic disease, as WCG offers global clinical trial site training and communications while the ISAD-Opened Taskforce offers the advantage of a partnership with the Eczema Foundation, associated with Pierre Fabre Laboratories.
Known as SCORAD (Scoring Atopic Dermatitis), the virtual program will be powered by WCG’s InvestigatorSpace®, a clinical trial site communication platform. WCG developed this online instruction and certification program in collaboration with Jean-Francois Stalder, emeritus professor of dermatology at the University of Nantes in France. He is the executive driver of the ISAD-Opened Taskforce, scientific manager of the Eczema Foundation and a leader of the European Task Force on Atopic Dermatitis (ETFAD), which first developed and validated the SCORAD scale.
Meeting Patient Needs
Atopic dermatitis impacts patients’ work productivity and overall quality of life, and it is a burden on healthcare systems. “We’ve made progress in addressing AD,” says Eric Zudak, who leads WCG’s Immunology Endpoint Services, “but variability in assessment training is counter to the goal of endpoint measurement. Lack of consistent assessment training does not serve the interests of patients, sponsors or trialists.
“We are excited to help clinicians change the paradigm for this chronic skin disease. Our joint, first-of-its-kind online program will help connect measurable study endpoints to quantify parameters and ultimately improve patient outcomes.”
Streamlining Clinical Trials
Professor Stalder notes, “We need tools that measure AD severity to support regulatory approvals, drug access and value-based care. SCORAD has now been used in hundreds of clinical trials as a companion to the Eczema Area and Severity Index. With the WCG platform, quality SCORAD training can be provided at scale to ensure competency by certified investigators.”
Research teams now have easy access to training – at both the investigator and study levels – supporting compliance, quality and efficiency. With consistent SCORAD certification across the industry, busy investigators and study teams no longer face redundant or conflicting courses. This training standardization saves time and cost for sponsors and CROs, eliminating delays to trial enrollment. SCORAD is available to dermatology research investigators globally to advance clinical research for all patients.
To learn more about SCORAD, contact us today.
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