Chairs: Cornelia-Ursula Kunz and Kaspar Rufibach
Academia-industry collaborations in biostatistics – It is not about the whether, just about the how
Lisa Hampson1, Frank Fleischer2
1Advanced Methodology & Data Science, Novartis Pharma AG, Switzerland; 2Biostatistics & Data Sciences, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma, Germany
Methodological collaborations between academia and the pharmaceutical industry can have several benefits for both parties. In addition to the development and application of new statistical methods, there is also the education and recruitment of the next generation of biostatisticians and data scientists. In this presentation, we begin by reflecting on the key components (and maybe some pitfalls) of an academia-industry collaboration. We consider the different models that these collaborations can follow, ranging from co-supervision of student projects to collaborations between institutions. We will use several examples to illustrate the various models and their direct impact on statistical methodology and the business. Topics covered are diverse and range from data science to innovative clinical trial design. We conclude by looking to the future and provide an overview of emerging methodological questions in the pharmaceutical industry which we think are ripe for future academia-industry partnerships.