uMotif and QuintilesIMS in partnership with the NHS Cancer Vanguard and Merck launch a unique investigation into the experience of Colorectal Cancer Patients

uMotif in partnership with QuintilesIMS was chosen from dozens of responses to the ‘Pharma Challenge’, an invitation issued by the NHS Cancer Vanguard to the pharmaceutical and life sciences industry to help the NHS make better use of medicines and minimise waste.

The Cancer Vanguard, part of the NHS new care models programme, was launched in 2015 to test out new methods of delivering cancer services in London and Greater Manchester.

As part of the ground-breaking Pharma Challenge, the Cancer Vanguard invited pharmaceutical companies to submit proposals to improve the availability and delivery of cancer drugs. A total of 22 companies put forward 39 proposals to a judging panel of chief pharmacists, nurses, clinicians, health science and other professionals.

The project, in partnership with the NHS, the pharmaceutical company Merck and QuintilesIMS seeks to identify ways of using NHS resources more efficiently within the secondary care setting, improve quality, reduce unwarranted variation in the delivery of care and establish a more accurate understanding of the patient experience during their treatment, placing a particular focus on Colorectal Cancer – one of the most common cancers in Britain and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths. By quantifying the costs associated with the identified unwarranted variation this new insight will enable the Trusts to optimise their use of medicines, spending money where it matters most to deliver better patient outcomes.

QuintilesIMS is central to the health sciences industry globally, having helped to develop or commercialise 98 of the 100 top selling pharmaceutical products in 2015. QuintilesIMS brings unique technology and scientific experience to the project, including robust NHS cost datasets and rich knowledge of patient journeys. The project will use innovative technology, provided by uMotif, to uniquely capture patient symptom, outcome, experience and wearable device data throughout their treatment, so that our understanding of the patient’s treatment journey is central to the analysis. Merck is a leading company in colorectal cancer research and treatment and has extensive experience, knowledge and understanding of the disease management challenges faced by patients and clinicians and is therefore pleased to partner on this exciting project.

The Cancer Vanguard is a partnership led by three organisations: The Christie NHS Foundation Trust and the wider system of cancer services in Greater Manchester, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, and University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The Christie currently leads the QuintilesIMS project.

The Vanguard works across a total population of 10.7 million people, providing an unprecedented opportunity to transform and create new models of cancer care that can be reproduced nationally.

This unique partnership enables patients to have a voice in their care and use of products in the real world, in a way made possible by the enabling technology of uMotif.