ECOGENE-21: Drones to promote access to clinical research
SAGUENAY, QC, Oct. 25, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - ECOGENE-21, a non-profit clinical and academic research organisation dedicated to providing access to innovation for unmet health needs, including rare or severe diseases, successfully completed the first flight demonstrations of the drone delivery process for clinical trials at the Centre of Excellence on Drones (CED) in Alma on September 28.
These trials, carried out in collaboration with ARA Robotique, the CED and Innovitech, are part of the project: "Paradigm Shift in the Conduct of Clinical Trials", financed by the Fonds d'Accélération des Collaborations en Santé (FACS) of the Government of Quebec, Ministère de l'Économie et de l'Innovation (MEI), and managed by the Biopharmaceutical Research Consortium (CQDM).
Within the framework of this project, ECOGENE-21 is collaborating with the Montreal Clinical Trials Coordination Centre (MHICC) of the Montreal Heart Institute (ICM) to develop the tools and processes necessary to conduct virtual or decentralized clinical trials. One of the objectives is to make it easier for patients living far from major centres to participate in clinical trials of new treatments.
"The delivery of drugs, biological samples (saliva, blood, etc.) and adapted meals by drones represent an innovative solution for conducting clinical studies that benefit patients living in remote areas or who have mobility problems. This project represents the first step in a new era of clinical studies that will promote access to innovative precision treatments, particularly for people with rare or severe diseases for whom therapeutic avenues are limited," says Dr. Daniel Gaudet, Professor of Medicine at the University of Montreal, and founder of ECOGENE-21.
"These first flights were carried out with the participation of Simon Gagnon, a pharmacist and owner affiliated with Proxim. Several other collaborators and partners will join ECOGENE-21 in the development of this very promising project for patients with rare diseases," says Diane Brisson, Director of Operations at ECOGENE-21.
There is still a lot of work to be done, both in terms of technology and regulation, before drones can be routinely used in virtual or decentralised clinical trials. With this trial, the partners hope to contribute to accelerating the development of the Quebec drone industry through cross-collaboration between the health and aerospace ecosystems.