Real-World Evidence Uptake Is “Silver Lining” Of COVID-19 Response, USFDA’s Abernethy Says

The coronavirus pandemic highlights the work that is still needed on real-world evidence, agency's principal deputy commissioner says.

Real world data
Sponsors, regulators and patients have criteria that must be met for RWE technology to advance after the pandemic, Abernethy said. • Source: Shutterstock

Drug development during COVID-19 has forced the US Food and Drug Administration and sponsors to accelerate their understanding and adoption of real-world evidence, given the challenges in conducting clinical trials under social distancing guidelines, FDA principal deputy commissioner Amy Abernethy said during a Friends of Cancer Research meeting 22 September.

One “silver lining” of COVID-19 is that the pandemic has “forced us to get comfortable” with real-world data technologies like...

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