“The risks involved in investing in drug development for neurological and psychiatric diseases are high, as these are difficult-to-measure conditions and trial have had high failure rates. In cancer there are many existing biomarkers and faster trials,” says Medaffcon’s Scientific Advisor, PhD Riikka Mattila.
According to Mattila, Medaffcon can assist pharmaceutical companies in their research in neurology and psychiatry. Real-world data-derived evidence (Real World Evidence, RWE) demonstrates the value of treatment in patient care, he states.
A model country for RWE
In neurology and psychiatry, Finland’s status as a model country for RWE studies is an advantage. The healthcare system’s data is digital, every citizen has a personal identification number, and the research legislation is progressive, describes the company.
Mattila highlights that many different facts and socioeconomic data can be excellently extracted from registers in Finland and linked to deep clinical data from hospitals, down to how many cars one owns. The most important sources of information are Statistics Finland and the Finnish Centre for Pensions.
In mental health disorders, genetic, biological, psychological, and environmental factors intertwine. The brain and nervous system are complex, and individual differences can be significant. Gathering information requires text searches and text mining, which Medaffcon can perform to extract complex variables, such as symptoms, they state. Manual data extraction, meaning a doctor retrieves information from the patient record system one by one, is also possible.
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