Scientist.com, a life science online market place, has announced the launch of DataSmartTM , an online platform that will be used to verify information in a bid to ensure data and information integrity collected from customers.
The company has indicated that the new platform will facilitate pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to establish research data submitted to regulators electronically. According to the company, DataSmartTM will especially be important in verifying information obtained by companies during clinical and preclinical stages of drug development.
Scientist.com runs a private enterprise market place featuring some of the leading pharmaceutical in the world. These include VWR and the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). Founded in 2007, the company has been connecting buyers to sellers of research services. Through this arrangement, the company is able to offer science using an innovative research and development (R&D) approach.
While commenting on DataSmartTM, Scientist.com and founder, Chris Petersen, said that blockchain technology is very important in biopharma research. He noted that in addition to helping in verification, it is also used to validate supply chains so as to ensure the integrity of research data.
Scientist.com has indicated that the new technology will especially be important in helping biopharmaceutical companies comply with 21CFR Part 11. This is a regulation that details all the standards that electronic records must satisfy so as to be considered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as reliable and equivalent to paper records.
Kevin Lustig, the CEO and Founder of Scientist.com, commented that the time spend as well as the huge costs incurred to adhere to the 21CFR Part 11 regulations has made it impossible for the company to ensure the integrity of the data collected at the early stages of drug development.
A big portion of data collected at advanced stages of drug development is submitted to regulators for verification electronically before the drug is approved. Companies are required to prove to the regulators that the data submitted for verification has not been tampered with since it was first collected.
A number of big companies have also started exploring the use of blockchain technology. These include Sanofi, Amgen and Pfizer.