LONDON, September 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

- PA Consulting Group and 4D Biomedical launch annual translational medicine foresighting report

Translational medicine, integrating clinical data and insight into the biomedical development process at an earlier stage, is finally delivering on its promise of facilitating the creation and development of effective medicines that lead to better outcomes for patients, according to a new report launched by PA Consulting Group and 4D Biomedical (4D). The report is based on the views of experts from government, clinical academic and private sector organisations who attended PA and 4D's annual translational medicine foresighting event.

The benefits of translational medicine have so far been constrained due to limited access to clinical data, the technology to interrogate this data and outdated business models. According to PA's report, these challenges are now being addressed.

Access to clinical data

According to the PA and 4D report, the creation of the new Clinical Practice Research Datalink and a commitment to 'making all patient data available' for approved research, combined with a change in mind-set to a NHS focused on innovation, has cleared the path for technology companies at all levels to unlock the value of health data in the UK.

Realising the value of the NHS is crucial to the success of translational medicine. Attendee of the PA and 4D event, Peter Knight from the NHS Department of Health, explains: "Research which had been undertaken showed that less than 1 per cent of patients would opt out of having their data used where identifiers flow to a safe haven to support life sciences research. Most people are philanthropic: they know their data could help future generations and particularly their own families."

Enhanced technology

Technological developments to enable the combination of data from multiple sources are critical for successful translational medicine. According to PA's report, organisations are making real progress on local, regional and national levels.

At a local level, clinical academic organisations such as King's College London are integrating data from multiple hospitals, allowing clinicians to make better decisions about treatments and patient management.

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From Bench to Bedside - How Translational Medicine is Generating Insights From Patient Data to Improve Healthcare