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Walgreens and BARDA Partner to Advance Decentralized Clinical Research

• Walgreens and BARDA have formed a strategic partnership to advance the Decentralized Clinical Operations for Healthcare and Research (D-COHRe) program, valued up to $100 million. • The D-COHRe program aims to enhance clinical study capabilities through decentralized clinical care, making trials more accessible to patients and supporting FDA-related product development. • This partnership builds on a previous collaboration where BARDA awarded Walgreens $25 million for a Phase IV observational study on COVID-19 vaccine responses. • Walgreens' clinical trial platform has demonstrated effectiveness in increasing accessibility and diversity in clinical trials, recruiting over five million patients.

Walgreens and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) are partnering to further the Decentralized Clinical Operations for Healthcare and Research (D-COHRe) program. This initiative aims to improve clinical study capabilities by focusing on decentralized clinical care, making it more accessible for patients.
The D-COHRe program supports the development of FDA-related products and enhances clinical innovation for more efficient research. It also evaluates countermeasures and their effectiveness during public health emergencies. The partnership, valued at up to $100 million over five years, will leverage Walgreens Clinical Trials and BARDA’s expertise to address barriers in decentralized clinical trial access.
Since its launch in June 2022, Walgreens Clinical Trials has demonstrated its effectiveness in increasing accessibility and diversity in clinical trials, potentially recruiting over five million patients. As of August 2024, Walgreens collaborates with over 26 partners across biopharma, academia, non-profit, and government sectors. BARDA aims to expand to diverse populations and aid in future public health emergencies through decentralized clinical trial settings in Walgreens community pharmacies.
The two organizations previously collaborated on Project NextGen, where BARDA awarded Walgreens $25 million to conduct a Phase IV observational clinical study assessing responses to COVID-19 vaccines and protection against future infections.
Ramita Tandon, Walgreens’ Chief Clinical Trials Officer, stated, “It is a privilege to continue our partnership with BARDA to strengthen clinical research in the U.S. through a decentralized model in a community pharmacy setting like Walgreens... Our network of community pharmacies and our compliant and secure clinical trial platform enables us to pioneer a comprehensive solution to make clinical research an integral part of a patient’s healthcare journey, especially when it is most critical for the well-being of our country, during a public health emergency.”
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Reference News

[1]
Walgreens and BARDA Enter Partnership to Progress Decentralized Clinical Research Program
clinicalresearchnewsonline.com · Aug 27, 2024

Walgreens and BARDA announce a $100 million, five-year partnership for the D-COHRe program to enhance decentralized clin...

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