Dutch telehealth company MyTomorrows has formed a strategic partnership with Pancreatic Cancer Europe to expand access to experimental treatments through its comprehensive clinical trials database. This collaboration aims to transform how patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals discover and access pre-approval treatments across Europe.
The partnership emerges against a sobering backdrop of pancreatic cancer statistics in Europe. According to European Commission research, pancreatic cancer represented 3.5% of all new cancer diagnoses in 2020 and accounted for 7.1% of cancer-related deaths, positioning it as the seventh most common cancer and fourth leading cause of cancer mortality after lung cancer.
Enhancing Clinical Trial Access
At the heart of this initiative is a new clinical trial search tool designed to simplify the process of identifying and understanding available trial options. The platform will serve as a centralized resource for accessing up-to-date information about pre-approval treatments, making the complex landscape of clinical trials more navigable for stakeholders.
Michel van Harten, CEO of MyTomorrows, emphasized the significance of the partnership: "We are very excited to be partnering with Pancreatic Cancer Europe, an organisation that works tirelessly to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer, promote advancements in treatments, and empower European member organisations to better address the relevant issues regarding the disease."
Impact on Patient Care
The collaboration comes at a crucial time, following the European Medicines Agency's (EMA) launch of its Clinical Trials Information System (CTIS) and updated transparency rules. These developments have created a more open environment for clinical trial data access, removing previous restrictions that allowed sponsors to defer trial data release for up to seven years.
Alfredo Carrato, chair of Pancreatic Cancer Europe, highlighted the platform's potential impact: "The innovative myTomorrows platform will support patients suffering from pancreatic cancer, their caregivers and their treating physicians by significantly easing the process of accessing and navigating clinical trials, another opportunity for them, enabling a more informed and proactive approach to the treatment of this devastating disease."
Advancing Treatment Options
The partnership represents a significant step forward in addressing the urgent need for improved pancreatic cancer treatments. By facilitating easier access to clinical trials, the collaboration aims to accelerate the development of new therapies while providing hope to patients seeking alternative treatment options.
The initiative also aligns with broader industry efforts to enhance clinical trial accessibility and transparency. This includes recent developments such as RenovoRx's ongoing Phase III trial of their drug-device combination therapy for locally advanced pancreatic cancer, demonstrating the field's continued progress in developing innovative treatment approaches.
