Accenture, Bristol-Myers launches centre for pharmacovigilance

Chennai, Sep 13 (UNI) Accenture and Bristol-Myers Squibb company today launced the pharmaceutical industry's first joint centre for 'pharmacovigilance' here.

''Pharmacovigilance is the monitoring of safety data to ensure optimal use of medicines, which entails the capture, assessment and reporting of potential side effects to medicines,'' Bristol-Myers Squibb senior Vice-President John Balian told newspersons.

Operated by more than 140 Accenture employees, the new centre would undertake the processing and coding of adverse event data and the generation of regulatory periodic and aggregate reports on safety as well as physician's medical review of adverse events, he added.

This was the first time a collaboration of 'end-to-end' safety case processing had been established, he claimed.

Mr John pointed out that the team was organised as a parallel process and extension of Bristol-Myers Squibb pharmacovigilance headquarter's operations.

''It allows for the seamless handling of data and reports between Accenture and Bristol-Myers Squibb, while not compromising patient safety,'' he said.

''Leading companies are re-thinking their operating model to drive sustainable growth and productivity,'' Accenture Pharmacovigilance MD Eric Sandor said, adding ''through a truly collaborative partnership with Bristol Myers Squibb, we have established an industry leading operation that is delivering substantial efficiency and improved flexibility for Bristol-Myers Squibb's pharmacovigilance organisation.'' UNI