COG UK 2024 Meeting Review
February 2024 saw the PBC Group host the 2nd Annual Clinical Outsourcing Group UK conference. The 2-day meeting covered a range of topics related to clinical trials and outsourcing. Featuring keynote speeches from industry experts on trends in the CRO landscape, patient engagement, decentralized trials, and much more. There was an emphasis on innovation, with sessions on AI, advanced analytics, precision medicine, and virtual site initiation.
The conference opened with patient representative Janette Rawlinson's keynote on innovative ways to engage patients throughout the clinical trial process. Following keynotes came from TCR-Solutions' COO Davy Yeung on optimizing site relationships and L.E.K. Consulting's Andre Valente on recent trends reshaping the CRO landscape through consolidation.
Further sessions delved into tactical areas like managing clinical trial drug supply, with insights from Yves Dethier of Boostcode on reducing waste and cost. Speakers also cover emerging technologies like Krzysztof Potempa of Braincures demonstrating AI for optimizing trials. Central themes include decentralization, with WestRock's Brian Sheridan on direct-to-patient supply, and oversight, with perspectives on oversight and quality from Theo O'Brien of Premier Research.
There was a strong focus on the UK trial environment, including a hackathon for enhancing UK clinical trials and further insight from HSC's Barry Henderson on Northern Ireland and SGC UK's Emma Kinloch on improving rare cancer trials. Other UK-centred talks came from Chi Onwurah MP on Labour’s vision for Clinical Research, and Kieran Prior of CRUK on streamlining early phase cancer trials.
With 40+ expert speakers spanning industry roles, the agenda delivered insights across the clinical trial lifecycle. From patient engagement in Janette Rawlinson's keynote to study design optimization with Pfizer's Zara Ghodsi to remote site start-up strategies in Lucy Clossick Thomson's workshop, the conference tackled critical areas for trial outsourcing and operations.
Unlike many other events in the UK, COG welcomed meeting welcomed over 65% of attending companies from active trial sponsor or research organisations, with key international players such as Pfizer, GSK, Merck represented, as well as representatives from the UK's emerging biopharma sector.
Of those who attended, 71% were Director level or above, and 29% sitting in other Senior Management roles.
COG UK will return next year taking place 25th & 26th February 2025, returning to London!