BBK's recently celebrated the opening of BBK Worldwide – Osaka, G.K. with a reception held on 27 October in Osaka, Japan. Representatives from Japanese pharmaceutical companies, CROs, and industry organizations were invited to attend. Bonnie Brescia, founding principal, Andy Sacher, general counsel, as well as Jeremy Buchman, program manger of East Asian Operations represented BBK. In addition to the reception, BBK held a press conference providing members of the media with an opportunity to learn more about BBK's commitment to the region. Brescia, Sacher and Buchman also attended the Tokyo DIA where they exhibited and met with sponsor representatives and key opinion leaders.

The current Internet buzz – online social media – represents an evolution in the way that people are using the Internet, from gatherers of information to active participants who provide feedback and generate content. e-Patients are a new breed of savvy healthcare consumers who proactively seek information online to make healthcare decisions. The question is, "How can the clinical research industry take advantage of this cultural explosion to recruit patients to clinical trials?" The answer will surprise you. BBK has written a white paper – more of a conversation opener – on this dynamic and constantly shifting landscape.

Click Here to Request the White Paper

October 1, 2009 // PharmaVOICE Webcast Network

In a conversation with Dan Limbach of PharmaVOICE, BBK founding principal Bonnie Brescia chronicles "The Evolution of the e-Patient." In a bold statement, she proposes that the Internet represents a communication revolution akin to the printing press's significance for making the Gutenberg Bible widely available to the lay person. Covering the characteristics of the e-Patient, and the many methods of Internet marketing for enrolling them in clinical trials – including social media – the podcast includes recommendations for leveraging the new media and engaging the e-Patient as a partner in clinical research.

The complexity of multinational clinical trials means that for sponsors to be successful, patient recruitment has to begin earlier in the development cycle and include a commitment to meeting the local needs of patients and investigators. In the September issue, BBK's director of global operations, Matt Kibby, shares his perspective on the importance of considering feasibility, country selection, and site selection as early in the process as possible. "By managing these parts of the process, the possible number of roadblocks can be reduced when it comes time for physicians to communicate the opportunity to patients and caregivers," comments Kibby.

BBK founding principal Bonnie Brescia was interviewed by eCliniqua's Deborah Borfitz for the July 20 story, "Strategies for Partnering with e-Patients to Promote Clinical Study Participation." After a description of the three types of e-patients, Brescia explains their advantages as clinical trial participants – they are proactive and information-seeking; and their challenges – they are demanding and opinionated, willing to share their experiences widely and publicly. The article offers ideas for using online media to both share information and track response to deliver the best results for clinical trial recruitment.