Premier Research Champions Patient Advocacy Community

DURHAM, N.C.,- As part of its commitment to supporting the patient advocacy community and as a kickoff to Rare Disease Day on February 28 and March as Rare Disease Month, clinical research company Premier Research is announcing both a new scholarship for rare disease patient advocates in partnership with Professional Patient Advocates in Life Sciences (PPALS) and the launch of a new Patient and Stakeholder Engagement (PASE) capability led by Juliet Moritz.

These initiatives reflect Premier Research's inclusive approach to the research and development of drugs and devices in which the voice of the patient is an essential part of the network of stakeholders searching for treatments and cures. 

Rare Disease Day and Month are campaigns dedicated to raising awareness of rare diseases and improving access to treatment for individuals and their families. 

Patient Advocacy Certification Training Scholarship for Rare Disease Advocates

Premier Research is offering a scholarship for one individual from within the rare disease advocacy community to attend the Sanford/PPALS Patient Advocacy Certification Training (PACT) program created in conjunction with Sanford Research Institute in Sioux Falls, SD. PPALS is a non-profit organization founded in 2014 and committed to advancing patient advocacy as a profession within the biotech and pharmaceutical industries. 

The PPALS Certification Training program is designed for health and life science specialists and leaders of patient advocacy organizations to enhance their professional development. Now in its fourth year, the program will run from May 6-9, 2019. The Premier scholarship will cover the cost of training as well as lodging and travel for a senior leader or a board member of a patient advocacy organization who has not previously attended the Sanford/PPALS course. The recipient will attend Track II, which includes topics such as communications, working with industry, and the clinical trial process. Applicants may contact Jean Campbell for more information: jean@ppals.org

"Scholarships like this go a long way toward supporting the growth of our advocate community and will ultimately advance the needs of patients within the drug development industry," said PPALS Co-Founding Board Member Jean F. Campbell. "Education and training always lights the way to progress." 

Premier Research Creates Patient and Stakeholder Engagement Function 

Juliet Moritz has been appointed as Premier Research Vice President, Patient and Stakeholder Engagement (PASE).  In her new role, Moritz, who has been with the company for three years, will serve as the internal expert on patient-focused clinical research activities and will assist Premier’s clients with the development and execution of patient-centric research.    

Working across all therapeutic areas and functions, Moritz will ensure that Premier Research's teams incorporate the patient voice and the patient experience early on in the design of clinical trials and programs and that they have the appropriate infrastructure, support, and access to experts.

"While patients and their advocates are the at the heart of the work we do, our goal is to bring all the relevant stakeholders to the table as we help develop treatments and devices and get them to the patients who need them," said Moritz. "And though our work focuses across various indications, I want to give a nod to all rare disease patients, because truly, it’s their impact that has shifted the culture on how we do clinical trials. We wouldn’t be talking about patient advocacy or engagement at all if it hadn’t been for rare disease patient advocates pushing for years to get their seat at the table."

About Premier Research

Premier Research, a mid-size clinical research company, is dedicated to helping biotech, specialty pharma, and device innovators transform life-changing ideas and breakthrough science into new medical treatments. 

As a global company, Premier Research specializes in the use of innovative technologies for smart study design and trial management to deliver clean, conclusive data to sponsors.

Whether it's developing product lifecycle strategies, reducing clinical development cycle times, securing access to patients, navigating global regulations, maximizing the impact of limited rare disease data, or providing expertise in specific therapeutic areas, Premier Research is committed to helping its customers answer the unmet needs of patients across a broad range of medical conditions. 

Visit premier-research.com.

About PPALs

Professional Patient Advocates in Life Sciences (PPALS) is a non-profit organization committed to supporting the function of Patient Advocacy within the biotech and pharmaceutical industries. PPALS represents, supports and encourages individuals to achieve the goal of improving the lives of their respective patient communities. Visit PPALS for more information:  https://ppals.org