PPD, Inc., a global CRO, and Clinical Ink, a global clinical technology company, have jointly developed a systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) assessment review process designed to simplify operationalizing clinical trials for this chronic autoimmune disease. The companies’ approach focuses on enhancing data quality and research site personnel experiences and efficiencies.

The data collection is a customized PPD version of Clinical Ink's electronic Lupus Assessment Suite (eLAS). Using eLAS is designed to simplify investigator and patient participation in clinical trials and provides pharma customers with near real-time access to SLE endpoint data.

Clinical Ink’s eLAS is a therapeutic-specific application of its Lunexis platform, featuring an integrated suite of SLE disease assessment questionnaires and patient-reported outcomes that are completed by clinicians and patients. With eLAS, investigators enter patient data once and the system automatically populates the appropriate fields across the required assessments, reducing redundant data entries and errors, which saves time and enhances site efficiencies.

“Combining PPD’s team of SLE operational and clinical experts with Clinical Ink’s proprietary eLAS solution enables us to offer near real-time access to critical SLE endpoint data,” said Carol Olson, M.D., Ph.D., vice president and head of global product development at PPD. “This consolidated approach addresses one of the most important challenges in SLE studies related to the variability of placebo response and improves efficacy signal detection. It also enables us to conduct a central review of key data by a dedicated team, enhancing the accuracy and consistency of our results.”