Quintiles highlights growing role of patients in drug development

Quintiles has published a new report which underlines the increasingly large influence patient needs play in the drug development strategies of healthcare firms.

The pharmaceutical services provider has commissioned a document called the New Health Report, which questioned medical executives, managed care executives and patients on the changing nature of the healthcare sector.

It showed that just under a third of pharmaceutical executives believe that patients themselves will become more influential in determining the success of new therapies in the next five years.

Quintiles’ chief compliance officer Dr Dipti Amin, said this trend is likely to manifest itself with increased attention to quality, accessibility and cost concerns, as well as a focus on “critical health issues”.

Dr Amin added: “The era of biopharma companies targeting physicians as the primary consumer is shifting as patients play an increasingly important role in drug development.”

Earlier this month, a survey conducted by Industry Standard Research revealed that Quintiles is considered to by the biopharmaceutical industry to be the industry leader across all phases of clinical research services.