The Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA (Foundation) in collaboration with Friends of Cancer Research (Friends) today announced the COVID-19 Evidence Accelerator, an expansive public-private partnership combining the efforts of academic, government, and private sector organizations applying data analytics to accelerate the understanding of COVID-19.

“We are honored to be launching this new initiative, working closely with FDA in leveraging real-world evidence to accelerate the pace at which new data can be brought together to ultimately help patients afflicted with COVID-19,” said Ellen V. Sigal, Chair of both the Reagan-Udall Foundation and Friends of Cancer Research. “It is inspiring how quickly our Evidence Accelerator partners embraced this opportunity to contribute vital data to help find solutions to this crisis.”

Mobilizing major data organizations, government and academic researchers, and health systems, the Evidence Accelerator builds on the innovative work of its partners to maximize the use of real-world data from across the country. Contributing researchers will engage in weekly meetings to present and critically discuss findings from different data sources. In addition, the Evidence Accelerator will facilitate parallel analyses of key questions to rapidly identify patient characteristics, treatment patterns, and management strategies for COVID-19.

 “Bringing together experts and stakeholders to respond to COVID-19 is exactly the kind of work that Congress envisioned when establishing the Reagan-Udall Foundation,” said Sigal. “Additionally, the Evidence Accelerator builds on Friends’ long history of creating innovative partnerships with all sectors, ensuring patients receive the best treatments in the fastest and safest way possible.”