The potential for real world evidence (RWE) is huge, according to enthusiasts, but to the uninitiated it can seem like a complicated and forbidding subject. In this Over the Counter double episode, IQVIA Consumer Health’s vice president of global research and development and real-world evidence services, Volker Spitzer, makes understanding real world evidence easy. We start with the basics, with what it is and what companies need to know about it, and what the key difference is with randomised control trials. Many companies are already using real world evidence, Volker notes, and he extracts some key lessons for companies interested in trying it out based on his extensive experience working with industry on such projects.

Timestamps

2:00 – Introductions

4:00 – What is real world evidence?

5:00 – Can RWE and clinical trials complement each other?

10:00 – Why RWE is particularly attractive today

14:00 – Don’t reinvent the wheel

18:00 – Why is this important for consumer health companies?

25:00 – Why RWE is often a good value option, especially for SMEs

33:00 – Applications of RWE in consumer health

Guest Bio

Volker Spitzer has more than 30 years of R&D experience spanning the consumer health sector, ingredients industry, and academia. Beginning his career as a professor in pharmaceutical sciences, he ascended to global positions encompassing R&D, innovation, licensing/M&A, and medical marketing at firms like Roche, DSM Nutritional Products, and Bayer.

Since October 2017, Volker has been affiliated with IQVIA Consumer Health, serving as the vice president for global R&D and RWE Services. His purview primarily includes clinical research, RWE, virtual trials, and the burgeoning field of digital health. He has penned over 80 scientific publications, whitepapers and textbooks centered on science and innovation.