Written by:
President of Evinova
VP Clinical Operations, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca
VP Clinical Operations, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca
临床研究是开发有可能改变许多疾病结果的新药的关键. However, 这一过程每年有可能产生高达1亿吨二氧化碳当量的排放量——与比利时这样大小的国家的年排放量相似.1 澳门第一赌城在线娱乐采用以科学为导向的方法，通过可持续地开展临床试验，降低医疗保健对环境的影响，减少温室气体排放，为社会和地球创造一个健康的未来.
The climate crisis is one of the biggest health threats currently facing humanity. Climate change has the potential to negatively impact health outcomes, 包括加剧心血管和呼吸系统疾病的流行，并给已经承受压力的卫生系统带来额外负担.2 At the same time, 目前，全球约5%的温室气体(GHG)排放是在医疗保健部门产生的, 这意味着每个参与医疗服务的人都在推动可持续发展和减少排放方面发挥着作用, while improving health outcomes.3
Through a focus on continuous innovation in our clinical trials, 澳门第一赌城在线娱乐正在开拓新方法，并将可持续性融入澳门第一赌城在线娱乐所做的一切-从实验室到患者. 这意味着利用数字技术和创新流程来减少临床试验对环境的影响, while simultaneously improving access as well as the patient experience.
To accomplish this, we are committed to transparent reporting and measurement of our environmental footprint. For example, we were the first pharmaceutical company to utilise a Carbon Emission Index, a GHG reduction tool for trial teams to evaluate the predicted environmental footprint of a trial. 该工具是研究设计的必要部分，可帮助研究团队计算和优化试验温室气体排放, keeping the environmental impact front of mind during trial design.
By optimising use of digital solutions and other innovations to lower emissions, teams used the Carbon Emission Index to calculate that a recent cardiovascular trial had 45% fewer GHG emissions (不包括药品生产和供应)与使用更传统设计的类似研究相比.
Going forward, 澳门第一赌城在线娱乐在整个临床试验过程中(从研究设计到数据分析)使用了大量此类操作和数字健康解决方案，以帮助减少澳门第一赌城在线娱乐未来试验对环境的影响.
Early clinical research planning
Before a clinical trial can begin, key stakeholders including site teams, researchers, and healthcare professionals must agree upon an appropriate number of sites to run the trial. 这可能需要广泛的研究，包括多次现场访问，以确保现场流程符合良好临床规范，并确保相关患者群体能够参与试验. To streamline this process and reduce our environmental footprint, we are using advanced analytics to aggregate multiple data sets, 帮助澳门第一赌城在线娱乐确定临床试验的正确地点，并减少在选择地点之前进行多个地点小组评估访问的需要.
When we are planning our clinical trials, we and our partners consider:
- Which countries and sites will participate?
- How can we ensure a diverse representation of the target patient population?
- How quickly will patients be able to enrol in the study?
Currently, 由于原始临床试验计划的不可预见的变化，大量的资源可能被浪费, combined with a lack of timely visibility of the necessary amendments. To address this, we are using novel planning tools, tracking waste reduction targets as a measure of success, 并不断强调临床试验团队早期规划和沟通的重要性.
Digital solutions for clinical monitoring and management
Importantly, we know that we don’t always have all the answers. After listening to patients, caregivers and trial investigators and reviewing our existing trial protocols, we gathered more than 14,000 comments about people’s experiences in clinical trials. The feedback clearly showed that clinical trials currently ask a lot from patients and caregivers, 通过许多预约和测量，他们质疑技术是否可以支持在家里进行这些评估. Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, our teams had already begun seeking possible opportunities for operational adjustment; they reviewed 90 internal trial protocols and determined that collecting certain data at home could reduce visits by around 25% to 40% – which in turn could reduce GHG emissions by an estimated 28%.
家庭数字解决方案也可用于使试验参与者捕捉临床相关事件，这些事件可能是复合试验终点的一部分. 复合终点将两个或多个临床相关事件合并为一个结果变量，该结果变量代表了给定治疗的临床获益的有效度量. 最近一项关于慢性阻塞性肺疾病(COPD)的研究表明，与传统的COPD研究相比，在研究过程中可以收集到更多的数据，因此使用数字解决方案和复合终点的试验设计只需要一半的患者数量和一半的就诊次数.
The importance of partnering for success
From operational changes to addressing how we design and deliver clinical trials, we are making great strides in reducing our GHG emissions. By collaborating with external partners, we have the potential to make even more progress.
That’s why Pascal Soriot, Chief Executive Officer, AstraZeneca convened the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI) Health Systems Task Force. 该工作队促进整个卫生保健部门的合作，以加速向净零卫生系统过渡, including decarbonising clinical trials and patient care, leveraging the power of digital and innovation, as well as tackling scope 3 supply chain emissions. Cross-industry partnerships such as this will not only propel us closer to our Ambition Zero Carbon targets over the next decade, 但它们也鼓励澳门第一赌城在线娱乐共同努力，确保澳门第一赌城在线娱乐对社会的贡献尊重澳门第一赌城在线娱乐的环境，并确保可持续地利用地球有限的自然资源.
因为临床试验涉及更广泛的卫生系统(包括卫生保健设施)的许多方面, staff and patient travel, medicines manufacturing and delivery), 研究数字化如何在临床试验中减少排放，显示了在更广泛的医疗保健系统中使用数字技术的巨大潜力.
Join us: Working together to advance environmental sustainability in clinical trials
We know that our future depends on taking bold action for the health of people, society, and the planet. At AstraZeneca, sustainability is part of our DNA, embedded in everything we do, from the lab to the patient. By giving our people the resources and support to push the boundaries of science, we are going beyond the ordinary to help improve billions of lives worldwide.
We welcome committed, 澳门第一赌城在线娱乐希望有才华有前途的员工加入澳门第一赌城在线娱乐，因为澳门第一赌城在线娱乐开创了以科学为主导的方法，降低医疗保健对环境的影响，减少温室气体排放，旨在为社会和地球创造一个健康的未来.
