Breaking Free Of Data Silos Demands A Comprehensive Strategy

By Gail Dutton, Contributing Writer
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Drug developers are generating greater quantities of data than ever before, and even more is needed. As this data deluge intensifies, new, comprehensive data-management strategies must be implemented to integrate siloed data from throughout the enterprise and even from throughout industry into complete, searchable databases. The traditional data strategies that have guided companies thus far have become inadequate.

"Stakeholders today are demanding more data and, specifically, more real- world data,” says Zhen Su, M.D., SVP and CMO for North America, at EMD Serono. Historically, medical data has been extracted from physicians’ day-to-day practices, taken to the bench, and studied in as perfect conditions as possible before being reintegrated into medical practices. In the past few years, however, patients and payers have become more important in terms of providing data, and data analysis has become more cost-effective, resulting in demands for data that exceed those required for regulatory approval.