Health Technology: The Merging Disciplines of Medicine and Innovation
Contributed by:
Robin Robinson
A successful partnership between pharma and technology also relies on trust and a thorough understanding of each industry so alliances can work well together, according to Jackie Kent, senior VP, head of product at Medidata, which partners with more than 1,300 small and emerging biotech and pharmaceutical sponsors globally, as well as more than 100 CROs.
“A company can hire the smartest technology engineers and the most creative innovators, but if those professionals don’t understand the uniqueness and the importance of the healthcare industry, there will be challenges,” Ms. Kent says. “We look for and want to be true partners. We like to think we are all part of the same industry and that we are not a software company having to learn about healthcare. This drives a different level of trust and a different level of relationship, so partnerships can be productive right from the start.”