Health IT vendor Cerner has created a new operating unit called Cerner Enviza to help accelerate discovery, development and deployment of therapies and advance clinical research and the life sciences industry.
In its announcement, Kansas City-based Cerner noted that new therapies can take on average 17 years and $2.5 billion to reach patients. In addition, one study found that only 3 percent of physicians and patients participate in trials. The company said the new unit was established to “unlock the power of data and a network of research-ready health systems to help get therapies to patients more quickly and at less expense. In addition, a key focus will be on broadening the availability and participation in trials to help achieve more equitable results.”
“The true promise of the digital age is to use data to improve everyday health around the world,” said David Feinberg, M.D., president and CEO of Cerner, in a statement. “Healthcare is far too complex, inefficient and expensive. We have to break down industry silos and evolve from simply accumulating data to generating meaningful insights that can accelerate therapy development. With Cerner Enviza, we can arm researchers with diverse tools and datasets to help them address these challenges and help change the way we develop and deliver care for our patients."
The new unit includes Kantar Health, which Cerner acquired in April. It has spent years helping life sciences researchers leverage data – both quantitative and qualitative – to better understand patient and treatment journeys.
The company said it is bringing together the expertise, assets and capabilities of Kantar Health with Cerner’s technology and access to a large collection of de-identified patient health data.
“Our approach unites the life sciences and healthcare providers to support research and trial opportunities across this ecosystem,” said Mike Kelly, global head of Cerner Enviza, in a statement. “The goal is to significantly reduce the timeframe and cost from idea to therapy delivery to help achieve better patient outcomes.”
