- David Jones
- Apr 3
- 5 min read
COG Nordics 2025 Meeting Review
The recent (April 2025) COG Nordics meeting brought together leaders from across the regions clinical research ecosystem to address key challenges and opportunities in the global clinical trial landscape. The two-day event featured keynotes, panel discussions, and case studies from industry experts. Below is a summary of the key themes that emerged from the conference.
Under the capable chairmanship of Sverre Bengtsson, CEO of Digital Trial Consultants, the two-day event featured over 30 speakers who shared valuable insights, case studies, and practical strategies for optimizing clinical research operations.
Data-Driven Decision Making and Digital Transformation
A prominent theme throughout the conference was the growing importance of leveraging data effectively to drive clinical trial excellence. This was immediately established in Matt Walz's (CEO, Trialbee) opening keynote panel titled "Connect the Dots: Unlock Silos and Operationalize Data to Drive Excellence in Recruitment and Beyond." Joined by Adama Ibrahim (VP, R&ED Digital Transformation, Novo Nordisk) and Maya Zlatanova (CEO & Co-Founder, TrialHub), the panel emphasized how purpose-driven data strategies can enhance global patient recruitment and improve feasibility.
Ane Jensen (Principal Data Manager, Biometrics, Zealand Pharma) provided a reality check with her case study "The Clinical Data Reality: Navigating Today's Data Landscape." Ane highlighted the challenges organizations face with increasingly complex datasets and cautioned against rushing into AI implementation without thoroughly understanding data sources.
The digital transformation theme continued into Day 2, with Teske Valk (Lead Medical Project Manager, Novo Nordisk) discussing "Digital Measurements in DCTs: Advancing Science Through Technology." Teske shared practical insights on evaluating digital biomarkers and aligning clinical, data science, and regulatory teams when implementing novel digital endpoints.
Anca Copaescu (CEO, Strategikon) brought the AI conversation to procurement with her session "Transform Procurement: Harnessing AI for Strategic Sourcing," demonstrating how AI-driven tools can enhance decision-making, streamline workflows, and predict study costs with unprecedented accuracy.
Furthermore, Katarina Steen Carlsson (Chief Scientific Officer, The Swedish Institute for Health Economics) illustrated how "Real-world data analysis and health-economic models" can support clinical trial design and demonstrate potential value of innovation, sharing three compelling case studies across different therapeutic areas.
Patient-Centricity and Engagement Strategies
Patient engagement is a critical success factor for clinical trials, covered at COG Nordics extensively, beginning with the opening keynote panel "Enhancing Patient and Stakeholder Engagement in Nordic Clinical Research" featuring Catharina Östberg (Head of Site Management Nordics, Bayer) and Helen Blanco (COO, Node Pharma), chaired by David Jones (Head of Content, PBC Group). The panel explored collaborative approaches for integrating patient perspectives within global healthcare frameworks.
Stanislav Vartanov (Patient Recruitment and Retention Manager, Bayer Finland) provided practical strategies in his session "Patient Partnership: Transforming Clinical Trial Design Through Lived Experience," demonstrating how early patient input shapes protocol design, reduces study burden, and improves trial outcomes.
The patient-centric theme continued with Henrik Blombergsson (Co-Founder, Viedoc) discussing "Revolutionizing the Patient Journey in Clinical Trials: From First Click to Last Visit," showcasing how technology is transforming the trial experience for participants.
A particularly innovative approach to patient engagement was presented by Christer Nilsson (CEO, Replior) in his keynote "Transforming Patient Engagement in Clinical Trials: The Power of Gamification." Christer demonstrated how gamification can keep patients motivated, reduce dropout rates, and improve compliance, leading to faster, more efficient trials and substantial cost savings.
Jennie Wilborgsson (VP, Clinical Development, Ascelia Pharma) shared specific strategies for patient recruitment in rare disease trials, while Ewa Lindqvist (Director, Decentralized Clinical Trial Lead, Merck Group) discussed how decentralized trials are improving recruitment, retention, and data quality while enhancing the participant experience.
Strategic Outsourcing and Resource Optimization for Nordic Biopharma
Given the conference's focus on clinical outsourcing, numerous sessions addressed the unique challenges Nordic biopharma organizations face when selecting partners and optimizing limited resources.
Rikke Winther (CEO, WIN Outsourcing Consult) set the tone with her keynote "Outsourcing best practices and strategies in Early Phase Clinical Trials," examining critical aspects of early phase outsourcing and practical approaches to selecting and managing CRO partnerships for complex studies.
The challenges of the biotech market were highlighted by Matt Cooper (Executive Director, Therapeutic Strategy Lead Oncology, Worldwide Clinical Trials) in his session on "The Global Biotech Market - Emerging Trends," where he shared insights on the health of the global biotech market and how to best position clinical programs in a challenging funding environment.
Frauke Bach (Senior Project Manager) and Andrés Aguilar Caro (Senior Proposal and Contract Manager) from Lumis International provided practical guidance on "How to Master Outsourcing Oversight Management," exploring the critical role of well-structured contracts in ensuring smooth collaboration with outsourcing partners.
Malene Jensen (VP, Clinical Development, Medivir) shared valuable insights from her experience in "Mastering the CRO selection process," examining critical aspects of the RFI/RFQ process and how to effectively evaluate CRO capabilities to ensure meaningful comparisons across potential partners.
The legal perspective was provided by Marta López Martínez and Fiona Malaj (Legal Consultants, Salvius Legal) in their session "Unlocking Success: Navigating Clinical Research Contracts with Sites & Vendors," sharing key insights into how trial sponsors can position themselves through planning, negotiation, and contract execution.
Justyna Leja-Jarblad (Head of Clinical Development, Lokon Pharma) closed the conference with strategic insights on "Navigating Vendor Selection for Budget-Conscious Emerging Biopharma," sharing her recent experiences when sourcing and engaging CROs for Lokon Pharma's development pipeline.
Additional Highlights
The conference also featured several other notable presentations, including:
Gulsana Lehtonen (Clinical Development Specialist, GE Healthcare) speaking on "Ensuring Patient Safety in Medical Device Development"
Stewart Liberman (Director, Business Development EMEA Biotech, Thermo Fisher Scientific) discussing "Biotech Speed, Biopharma Scale: Powered by Clinical Trial Innovation"
Søren Bregenholt (CEO, Alligator Bioscience) presenting "Mitazalimab Phase 2 Data, and Phase 3 Approach"
Thaher Pelaseyed (Co-Founder/CEO, MucoLife Therapeutics) sharing his company's journey "From Lab to Clinic: Strategic Navigation of First-in-Human Infrastructure"
Rebeckha Magnusson (Head of Clinical Operations, Ribocure Pharmaceuticals) discussing "Strategic Clinical Operations Scaling: Building Effective Infrastructure and Partnerships"
Day 1 concluded with a CEO panel on "Nordic Innovation in Action: CEO Perspectives on Funding Clinical-Stage Life Science Companies," featuring Sverre Bengtsson, Søren Bregenholt, and Thaher Pelaseyed, chaired by Helen Blanco, exploring effective financing strategies within the region's unique landscape.
The Swedish perspective was highlighted on Day 2 by Anna Ramnemark (Chairman, Node Director, Clinical Studies Sweden, Forum North) and Ann Tronde (Node Director, Clinical Studies Sweden, Forum South) presenting "Clinical Studies Sweden: Advancing Clinical Research through National Infrastructure and Support."
Networking Opportunities
The highlight of the social program was the Nordic Feast hosted by Trialbee following the networking drinks and canapés reception at the end of Day 1. Held in the Scandic lobby restaurant and bar, the buffet dinner celebrated Scandinavia's contributions to global clinical research and marked Trialbee's milestone of recruiting and screening one million patients in their Honey Platform.
Attendees enjoyed a casual atmosphere with open seating and Trialbee's signature Bee's Knees cocktails, providing an excellent opportunity for continued discussions in a relaxed setting.
Audience Snapshot
COG Nordics 2025 welcomed an audience of Biopharma executives from across the Nordic region. Proudly, the audience was made up of a large proportion of C-Suite executives, and senior directors/ VPs engaged in clinical research.
COG Nordics will return next year, in March 2026, in Malmö, Sweden! Register now to receive updates: HERE
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