ARLINGTON, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The National Evaluation System for health Technology Coordinating Center (NESTcc), an initiative of the Medical Device Innovation Consortium (MDIC), today announced NorthWest EHealth (NWEH) and Discover-NOW, the Health Data Research Hub for Real World Evidence, as its newest Network Collaborator partnership and first international addition to its Research Network. The NESTcc Research Network is comprised of internationally recognized institutions with expertise in many medical device areas and access to secure robust data.

The Manchester, UK-based NorthWest EHealth, funded by UK Research and Innovation, are world leaders in the innovative and trustworthy use of routinely collected healthcare data for clinical trials. NWEH’s clinical trial platform enables more effective feasibility, economic modelling, recruitment, real-world data trials to regulatory standards, real-time safety monitoring, and data analytics to support the whole clinical trial lifecycle. Discover-NOW, the Health Data Research Hub for Real-World Evidence, is a unique partnership led by London, UK-based Imperial College Health Partners as one of seven Health Data Research UK’s Hubs. The Hub brings together health, academic, technology, industry, and charity partners as well as patients and the public to revolutionize the way health information is used to treat and prevent disease in the future.

“NorthWest EHealth are excited and delighted to be joining the NESTcc Research Network. With our partners in the UK and our technology and track record for using real-world data for clinical evaluation we look forward to adding our expertise and the benefits of the rich clinical longitudinal datasets available in the UK to the NESTcc network,” said Professor Martin Gibson, M.D., Ph.D., FRCP, CEO of NorthWest EHealth.

Discover-NOW and NWEH, already partners in the Hub, are proudly growing their work together as the newest NESTcc Network Collaborator. This UK-leading collaboration provides safe and secure access to unique depersonalized real-world data sets through proven technology, expertise, and experience to enable the delivery of real-world research and trials. This collaboration will help NESTcc and organizations coming to NESTcc meet European Union Medical Device Regulation (EU MDR) regulatory requirements and expand its reach outside of the United States.

Amanda Lucas, Operations Director at Discover-NOW said of the collaboration, “We are delighted that together with our partners NWEH we are the first international collaborators to join the NESTcc Research Network and this is to be our first international collaboration for Discover-NOW. Through joining this renowned network, we have the opportunity to learn, share, and scale the insight gained through our securely governed research environment with other real-world evidence experts. It highlights the rich data assets and expertise we have available in the UK to support health research for patients to receive the best quality care and medical devices as safely as possible.”

The collaboration also marks the first new addition to the NESTcc Research Network since its inception in April 2018. The Research Network is now comprised of 14 Network Collaborators, with access to over 141 million patients, 3,075 outpatient practices/clinics, 291 specialty clinics, and 162 hospitals/medical centers. NESTcc Network Collaborators also have access to electronic health records (EHR), pharmacy data, public and private claims, registry data, patient-generated data, unique device identifiers (UDI), and supplemental data, including billing, supply chain, and genomic data. NESTcc will continue to expand its Research Network over the course of this year.

“We are excited to welcome NorthWest EHealth and Discover-NOW as we expand the scope and geographic reach of the NESTcc Research Network,” said NESTcc senior vice president Sandra Siami. “Broadening and deepening our network with new partners will be integral to the evolution and sustainability of NESTcc, and this collaboration will enhance our ability to impact the global medical device ecosystem.”

NorthWest EHealth CEO Martin Gibson will be presenting on an MDIC Annual Public Forum webinar on Thursday, July 23 from 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. US ET titled, “Perspectives on RWE: Assessing Its Use, Impact, and Role in the U.S. and EU.” Register to attend this webinar here.

About the National Evaluation System for health Technology Coordinating Center

In 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) awarded the Medical Device Innovation Consortium (MDIC) funding to establish the National Evaluation System for health Technology Coordinating Center (NESTcc). The Coordinating Center seeks to support the sustainable generation and use of timely, reliable, and cost-effective Real-World Evidence (RWE) throughout the medical device lifecycle, using high-quality Real-World Data (RWD) that meets robust methodological standards for the purpose of enhancing regulatory and clinical decision-making. For more information, visit http://www.nestcc.org.

About the Medical Device Innovation Consortium

Founded in 2012, the Medical Device Innovation Consortium (MDIC) is the first public-private partnership created with the sole objective of advancing medical device regulatory science throughout the total product life cycle. MDIC’s mission is to promote public health through science and technology and to enhance trust and confidence among stakeholders. MDIC works in the pre-competitive space to facilitate development of methods, tools, and approaches that enhance understanding and improve evaluation of product safety, quality, and effectiveness. Its initiatives improve product safety and patient access to cutting-edge medical technology while reducing cost and time to market. For more information, visit http://www.mdic.org.