Nordic Life Science 1
HEALTH // CLINICAL TRIALS healthcare system, whic
h has enabled the country to attract many international clinical trials. “The life science industry is (in 2022) about 22 percent of Danish exports. It’s a very strong industry in Denmark, with solid traditions and with some of the organizations being Foundation-owned thereby providing stability in ownership. There has been strong political backing over a number of years. And, of course, that means a lot, having such strong political backing. This focus on life science and health is expressed in the new government’s main policy objectives,” explains Pilgaard further. Collaboration and new technologies By working together, the Nordic countries could, in theory, share their knowledge and resources, and standardize the regulatory process across the board, making it easier for companies to navigate, and in turn, make better use of the region’s unique health data and genetic research. Iceland, for example, has a unique population with a high degree of genetic homogeneity, making it an ideal location for genetic research and clinical trials. Iceland could leverage its unique data and expertise through increased collaboration. New technologies and concepts, such as decentralized trials and new recruitment methods using modern digital tools, can also play a role in overcoming these hurdles. Decentralized trials can make it easier to recruit patients in remote areas and telemedicine can streamline the recruitment process and improve patient engagement. T his use of technology is something Steenberg feels strongly about, saying virtual trials could accelerate the process of doing more joint trials and expanding the cohorts. Both to be able to do more trials, and also to make it easier for people to participate in the trials. “I see this as a win-win opportunity for both patients and companies,” Steenberg says. Kolehmainen agrees that the technology will play an important role in recruitment, highlighting that the Nordics are relatively small countries, and especially with trials on rarer diseases, it might take a lot of work to find enough suitable subjects. “Here modern tools, like our CliniScout Recruit, help, utilizing digital means to accelerate and boost recruiting,” he says. Talent goes hand in hand with R&D Another important factor in the growth and success of the clinical trials industry in the Nordic region is the ability to attract and retain talent. The industry requires highly skilled professionals, including doctors, nurses, and researchers, to successfully conduct and manage clinical trials. By creating a strong and efficient clinical trial industry, the Nordic region can attract top talent from around the world. “When you look at the life sciences in this region, it represents a multitude of different nationalities. We have too little Scandinavian talent in order to sustain the continuous growth of the life science sector. Companies look for areas where there is a critical life science talent pool, talent looks for world-class research that happens in academia and in companies – getting this right creates a virtuous circle,” says Steenberg. T NLS he importance of talent goes hand in hand with R&D. Steenberg emphasizes how important this is for the region. “We have a lot of R&D and it is extremely important that this area of the world is focusing on R&D. These are valuable jobs. We do already have a lot of joint cross-border projects within R&D. It’s a greater part of the value chain than just clinical trials,” she says. “By joining forces across the border, there’s no doubt, we can have a critical mass that can attract more investors and, most importantly, more talent. This is also why we must keep the R&D and innovation in our countries because of the critical talent pools that we do have and produce, but we need to attract more because we don’t have enough,” she adds. Overcoming the hurdles The Nordic region has a strong life science industry, unique health data and resources, and well-functioning healthcare systems, however, the lack of standardization in the regulatory process and patient availability shows there are challenges. Petteri Kolehmainen suggests that the hurdles can be overcome by increasing collaboration between countries, improving regulatory harmonization, and providing support for recruiting patients. The use of new technologies like decentralized trials, telemedicine, and virtual trials, can streamline the recruitment process, increase patient engagement and make it easier for people to participate while leveraging unique health data and expertise, while attracting future investment. “The new technologies will help to speed up studies, save costs, and help find and keep the patients. More simply, the Nordics traditionally are very good with new technologies, this brings additional opportunities for us here,” he concludes. NORDIC LIFE SCIENCE 55