Open Source Systems Lure Drug Developers

The gradual spread of software automation in drug development may be getting a boost from open source systems. Most e-clinical systems today--from data capture and storage to trial management and operations--are proprietary, despite the excellent work that solutions providers have done to make their products compatible with existing standards-based and de facto standard industry systems.

True to the open source concept, such systems tend to be more accessible to the resource-constrained academic and small biotech sectors, as well as small and mid-size CROs. Open systems are available for free, with no license fee, and they provide an opportunity for interaction with other community members via the shared solution building, refining, and follow-on development that underlies them, says Ben Bauman, director for business development at Akaza Research, in an interview. The company's OpenClinica system is an open-source EDC and data management system.

Akaza recently announced the availability of an expert-reviewed case report form library for OpenClinica, as reported. In addition to providing and overseeing OpenClinica, the company sells an enterprise edition of the product and a suite of products.