Neurodegenerative Studies Are Difficult On Patients

ARG has been a leader in patient centricity because our history with rare disease projects has taught us the central aspect of any study is its accessibility for patients. The data comes from understanding the needs of patients. In neurodegenerative studies in particular, there may be issues in swallowing medications, for example. With this in mind, we ask: how can we make this easier to keep patients engaged? At other times we consider home health options, or even wearables. The bottom line is that success of the trial is driven by the understanding of the patients.

Experience Is Needed To Figure Out Where Patients Are On Their Journeys

Although it may be straight-forward to diagnose a patient with certainty of a particular disease, it is far less clear where the patient stands in terms of progression. For example, the median life expectancy for those diagnosed with ALS is three years, but there can be wide variance. In addition, it is vital to keep in mind that time often is not indicative of progression speed. All of this is very important to the ARG team, as we use experience to guide clinical trial decisions.

Keeping Up With Neurodegenerative Disease Trends Is Important

At ARG, we recognize that we need to continually grow our knowledge of neurodegenerative conditions as we concurrently evolve in our experience. The neurodegenerative community is a tight-knit group, and we are fortunate to be a part of it. By staying in the know, interfacing with Investigators, and presenting at conferences, we keep up with the trends that drive the trials that will ultimately help patients.

There Is Robust Competition In The Neurodegenerative Space

ARG has been successful in the dynamic neurodegenerative area despite the competition because we stick to our fundamentals: commitment to patients, relationships with stakeholders, principally the Investigators, and excellent delivery of projects. Above all, we stay curious, learning on the way not only about all of the emerging investigational products, but also about how patients can be engaged in meaningful clinical trials.