Nordic Life Science 1
REALWORLD EVIDENCE The team behind NordicRWE beli
eve the possibilities of Real-World Evidence are obvious, but access to and sharing data between the Nordic countries are hurdles that need to be overcome. T E X T B Y MA L I N O T MA N I T HE AMOUNT OF health-related data is rapidly increasing, while the healthcare sector faces the major challenge of becoming cost-efficient and improving how it delivers benefits to patients. Researchers are now turning more frequently to Real-World Evidence (RWE) to complement data generated from randomized controlled trials. RWE can provide a holistic view of patients, for example additional information about the patient’s experience, and advantages and risks of different drugs in clinical practices, surgical procedures, or other health measures, as well as the costs for these. RWE can also provide crucial insight into different steps in the drug development cycle and furnish 80 | NORDICLIFESCIENCE.ORG evidence that accele-rates development, approvals, access, and benefit/risk surveillance. If successful, this will give patients earlier access to new treatments and more rational drug utilization overall. Norwegian company NordicRWE, founded a few years ago, aims to be at the forefront of this data-driven drug development process. The team has experience and skills in health data, and several years of experience in the pharma industry internationally and with national health registers. “We also have top statistical capabilities and a very international and diverse team,” says Steinar Thoresen, Medical Director and co-founder of NordicRWE. Today the company is mainly focused on two different work-packages, Thoresen says. “One involves developing registerbased control arms for clinical studies and we have submitted two publications. The other is looking at signal detection focused on Alzheimer’s and lipidmodifying drugs,” he describes. Part of BioVentureHub The company has also recently joined the AstraZeneca BioVentureHub at the Gothenburg R&D site and is the first Norwegian company in the hub. This is the result of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in December 2023 between Oslo Cancer Cluster, Oslo Science City, and AstraZeneca BioVentureHub. The aim of the MoU is to stimulate innovation and further develop the Nordic life science ecosystem. “Becoming part of the AstraZeneca BioVentureHub will give us access to infrastructure, scientific expertise, and a greater ecosystem to grow innovation and identify possible collaborations. In BREAKING NEW GROUND // REAL-WORLD EVIDENCE