Alberto Della Scala, CNS Portfolio and Strategy Director for IQVIA Biotech, has touched on multiple areas in clinical research over his 20 year career. His diverse background includes clinical trial management, strategy development, data analytics, customer and site management, site feasibility and identification, therapy and business development, to name a few. It is through his well-rounded experience that Alberto offers IQVIA Biotech customers a holistic, patient-centered approach to operational and therapeutic oversight throughout the clinical development program lifecycle.
Having experience in key development methodologies, Alberto evaluates challenges through different perspectives to ensure he provides optimal strategic guidance to customers as they navigate a complex CNS development landscape. Considering industry challenges related to COVID-19 and the need to support the specific needs of CNS patient populations, Alberto has helped ensure successful integration of decentralized trial elements, including telemedicine, mobile research services, and wearable devices, into trial design and execution for several customer programs in both rare and more common CNS/psychiatry disease indications. Many rare disease patients live a significant distance from the investigational site, they may have mobility issues and/or the constant involvement of a caregiver, therefore reducing patient burden is key and can improve enrollment rates. Accordingly, designing the study and its operationalization around the patient increases attractiveness, allowing a smoother trial conduct and a potential reduction of timelines. The availability of dedicated solutions and experience in implementation is an important advantage for our customers in a “new normal” world.
For customers conducting trials across Europe, Alberto brings another layer of expertise, given his work and home-base in Italy. He recognizes the importance of considering logistical aspects of trial design and operational execution in European countries including standards of medical care and cultural differences that can impact development.
Though Alberto leverages his diverse background to continuously innovate and optimize development for customers, there is one consistent factor in all his efforts: always keeping patients in mind throughout the process. His patient-centered perspective is something he has built upon since his initial work in the industry in 2001, as a technical and clinical consultant for a major global medical device company. He worked side-by-side with expert medics in surgery rooms to tailor devices to fit patient needs and optimize outcomes, and he soon became intrigued with the clinical research aspects of development, in learning how to elevate innovation and enhance devices and protocols to provide patients with the best care. This perspective was especially personal as he used his experience to help a close family member with her health concerns.
Since those initial experiences, Alberto has steadily applied his patient-centered perspective to help transform how IQVIA Biotech supports clinical research for CNS customers. He is particularly energized and further motivated when his team brings their varied expertise and perspectives together to push innovation for customers and the patients they aim to serve.
Alberto holds a master’s degree in Engineering from the Roma Tre University in Rome, Italy and a Business English certificate from Cambridge University of Rome. He is a contributing author to multiple articles in industry journals and is a patent holder.
Having a team with agile strategic guidance and expertise in your therapeutic area is crucial to the success of your clinical development program. Contact us to learn how our dedicated CNS team can support your next study.
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