PHILADELPHIA – January 5, 2018 – ERT, a global data and technology company that minimizes uncertainty and risk in clinical trials, today announced that Karin Beckstrom, who heads up the company’s Innovation Lab, has been named a Top 20 Innovator by CenterWatch.

CenterWatch’s list of Top 20 Innovators recognizes the smart and talented industry representatives who are exploring and developing innovative products and services that will improve drug development over the next decade.

Beckstrom’s recognition is based on results from a months-long proof of concept initiative she and a team of ERT developers executed, which explored how patients could benefit from using voice assistant technology instead of traditional, manual methods to submit clinical trial data. Developed in collaboration with Orbita, a healthcare software provider, ERT’s Voice Assistant Data Capture Solution simplifies patient data collection by enabling clinical trial participants to complete daily assessment surveys, report vital statistics measurements, ask questions, receive training and report health concerns via voice recognition technology. Additional applications are under development.

“We’re very proud of the work Karin and the Innovation Lab team is doing to keep patients engaged, enrolled and compliant with clinical trial protocols,” said James Corrigan, President & CEO, ERT. “This project is just one example of ERT’s commitment to delivering innovative solutions that enable sponsors to accelerate product development and get new therapies to the patients who need them, quickly and with confidence.”

ERT’s Voice Assistant Data Capture Solution has great potential for capturing important real-world data from clinical trial participants, as well as from patients participating in post-launch, late phase programs.  Patients with manual dexterity limitations ― including those with rheumatoid arthritis or Parkinson’s disease ― may benefit the most from the technology. Instead of having to manually enter or write down answers, which may prove difficult, they simply need to vocalize their responses and the interface will enter the data.

“In clinical trials, it’s critical to put patients first ― to really understand their daily lives and challenges,” says Beckstrom. “Only then can you match their needs against the potential of new technology to advance clinical research and improve health outcomes. It’s rewarding to contribute to such a worthy effort, and I’m honored to be recognized for this groundbreaking initiative.”

For more information on ERT, visit ert.com.