The event aimed to show both master students and PharmaSafe's researchers, professors, and PhD students how pharmaceutical companies utilize RWE in drug development and regulatory decision making.
Hedvig Nordeng, Professor at UiO's Department of Pharmacy, spoke about PharmaSafe's role in real-world studies and involvement in Pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety, giving those at AstraZeneca a peak into what the PharmaSafe research group focuses on.
Speakers from AstraZeneca included the following:
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Pål Hasvold, AstraZeneca's Medical Evidence Head: Provided insights into Real World Evidence (RWE) programs and discussed the unique position of Nordic countries in accessing healthcare data.
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Trude Ågesen, Medical Evidence Scientific Leader: Delved into RWE study methodologies, focusing on collaboration, data ownership, and analysis principles.
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Helga Olsen, Medical Evidence Scientific Leader: Explored non-randomized study designs and their significance in regulatory decision making.
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Bjørn Oddvar Ström, Market Access Manager: Discussed the pivotal role of healthcare data and RWE in Nordic reimbursement applications, introducing the concept of synthetic comparator arms.
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Kristin Knalstad, Director of Patient Safety Risk Management at AstraZeneca: Shared insights on risk management strategies in pharmacovigilance, offering a comprehensive view of balancing benefit-risk profiles in medicinal products.
Reflecting on the seminar, one master student said:
"It was nice to gain insight on how real-world data is used by pharmaceutical companies after learning mostly about academic use during my studies. Personally I found the presentation on RWE for regulatory decision making most interesting."
Bridging the gap between academia and industry through such seminars not only enriches our students' the understanding of RWE, but also sheds a light on potential career opportunities for students pursuing pharmacy studies.
We extend our gratitude to AstraZeneca for organizing this seminar and look forward to further collaborations bridging the realms of academia and industry. We also thanks Hilde Kloster Smerud, lecturer at UiO's Department of Pharmacy, for helping with the organization and connecting us!
Stay tuned for more updates on future events and collaborations!