S4 Ep2: The Power of Decentralized Clinical Trials: What You Should Know

The Elixir Factor

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, it changed the way we operate across countless areas of our lives. Now, many people are assessing what changes should remain moving forward. At Lilly, where we’re focused on developing medicines that will make life better for people around the world, we’re harnessing what we’ve learned to advance our work and asking ourselves: What lessons from the pandemic can we apply to improve clinical trials? The answer: Quite a few. On this episode of The Elixir Factor, guest host Phyllis Ferrell, global head of Alzheimer’s disease external engagement at Lilly, explores how the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are providing new ways for us to think about clinical trials and our work to discover breakthrough medicines. Janelle Sabo, PharmD, vice president of Clinical Research Capabilities at Lilly, shares her perspective on how Lilly’s approach to clinical trials started shifting pre-pandemic and how COVID-19 impacted that work. Jessica Langbaum, PhD, director of Alzheimer’s Prevention Initiative led by Banner Alzheimer’s Institute and Jared Brosch, MD, Indiana University School of Medicine, also join the conversation to talk about how a decentralized approach to clinical trials can advance the science and increase patient access, specifically to cutting-edge Alzheimer’s disease clinical trials. The group explores how key learnings from the last two years, coupled with recent clinical trial innovations, give us a new path forward to make trials more accessible and expansive, so more people have access to innovative, life-changing new medicines.