Almac and Exco InTouch form alliance to deliver patient compliance and ePRO services using multiple technologies

The Almac Group and Exco InTouch announced March 21 that Almac's Clinical Technologies business unit, a provider of interactive voice and web response (IXRS) services relating to patient and drug supply management, has formed an exclusive integrated patient management alliance with Exco InTouch, a firm specializing in patient recruitment, retention, compliance and electronic patient reported outcomes (ePRO) services. The alliance will be focused on the integration of both technology and processes by both firms to deliver patient management, compliance, retention and ePRO service offerings to sponsors of clinical trials.

The Almac-Exco InTouch offering serves what the companies call "a pressing need in the drug development process: Engaging, retaining, and enhancing compliance of patients from the earliest stages of recruitment and throughout the course of a trial."

Exco InTouch will work with Almac to more or less seamlessly integrate its market leading retention and compliance technology solutions with Almac's IXRS technology, an integrated phone and web platform. This will allow patients to receive messages for key elements of their required study conduct using short message service (SMS) text messages,  emails or phone calls. Examples of messages include reminders to attend clinic visits or to fill out patient diaries, medication prompts, notices to attend appointments in a fasted state, to return unused medication, and even encouragement messages to keep all patients motivated to participate in the clinical trial.

The Almac-Exco InTouch alliance is designed to offer sponsors the benefit of alleviating clinical trial site personnel of administrative burdens and activities relating to protocol compliance. Moreover, it provides biopharmaceutical firms a way to ease a patient's journey through the clinical trial process using familiar technologies that are both popular and ubiquitous, including phone, web, text messages and email. The solution keeps patients on track during a trial and offers them an "electronic tap on the shoulder" in their native languages to help drive compliance. As trials become increasingly more complex and global, the application of such cost-effective technologies to drive compliance and enhance clinical trial site productivity will serve a vital role in the drug development process.

Almac President Jim Murphy comments on the alliance with Exco InTouch: "The alliance between Almac and Exco InTouch provides sponsors with a practical, cost-effective solution to managing patients during a clinical trial. Our joint solutions will help enhance patient recruitment, retention, and compliance, three highly critical areas of concern for our clients."

Tim Davis, CEO of Exco InTouch describes the relationship as "the perfect integration of complementary technology products, adding "we are delighted to work with Almac's clinical technologies business on such a powerful mobile and interactive response solution. Rarely do you have an opportunity to employ a solution that will help all trial participants, the sponsor, the site, and the patient. Our clients are already looking forward to taking advantage of this unique Almac-Exco InTouch offering."