Incorporating patient preferences in medical product development

There is an increasing consensus that development of a range of medical products should take into account patient preferences throughout the development lifecycle. This helps to ensure that drug development is both efficient and ethically informed.

To achieve this, researchers need guidance on reliable ways to collect information about patient preferences to inform decision makers. Birmingham BRC researchers participated in the international IMI-PREFER consortium, leading key work on preference methodology and providing evidence-based recommendations for how and when patient preference studies can inform drug development, with a supporting toolkit of training and templates. Our researchers also led a clinical case study exploring the preferences the preferences of individuals at risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for preventive treatment, demonstrating how patient preference research can inform the development of future therapies.

The research informed recommendations that have enabled active engagement with regulatory bodies across the UK, EU and USA influencing the development of relevant guidelines and policy. 

Industry, regulators, health technology assessment (HTA) bodies, researchers and, ultimately, patients will all benefit from the adoption of the recommendations and a more patient-focussed approach to drug development.