COVID-19 Business Continuity Planning Pulse – January 2021

Customer Colleagues,

Happy New Year! At Syneos Health, our priorities in 2021 continue to be protecting health and safety, while partnering with our customers, sponsors and investigators to deliver life-saving medicines to patients worldwide. As part of our commitment to continuous communication, following our initial Business Continuity Planning (BCP) update and weekly editions throughout the majority of 2020, we’re now issuing a monthly BCP PULSE to keep you aware of our efforts. 

MAINTAINING RESILIENCE IN THE FACE OF ONGOING CHALLENGES

Though 2021 has brought a continued increase in global COVID-19 cases, as well as political unrest in the United States, we remain optimistic about the months ahead. Governments, public and private institutions and frontline workers are collaborating to distribute and administer vaccines to large populations, and each passing week brings new understanding of the pandemic.

In 2020, we focused on delivering for our customers during one of the most difficult times in modern history. We’re proud of our Clinical and Commercial employees who deployed agile, innovative solutions to industry challenges in real-time.

This year, we’ll continue monitoring the impact of COVID-19 across the globe, and plan for the eventual and safe reactivation of our offices. Remaining at the forefront of employer conversations around re-openings, travel restrictions and vaccination processes is important to our Business Continuity Planning Transition Management Office.

BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLANNING REACTIVATION SUMMARY

Our Business Continuity Planning Transition Management Office (TMO), in alignment with FDA, CDC, WHO and other local and international health authority guidance, includes multiple workstreams. In each BCP PULSE, we’re including select workstream updates to keep you aware of our learnings and efforts.

• Regulatory Guidance: Aggregating and synthesizing EMA and FDA guidance, and updating regulations and restrictions in order to provide direction to our employees and customers on when – or when not – to pivot and/or reactivate.
• Change Management: Working internally and with customers on change management activities to ensure preparedness as dynamics shift.
• Field Team Connections: Monitoring company-by-company redeployment activities, compiling best practices for remote activities and HCP preferences, and benchmarking remote versus in-person detailing metrics.
• Sponsor Connections: Working collaboratively with sponsors in the “now normal” to press forward with studies underway while initiating new trials.
• Continued Preparedness Planning: Preparing for evolving trends in COVID-19 cases, coupled with vaccination roll-out progress, by developing scenario plans and sharing best-practice learnings.

BEST PRACTICES – BEING AGILE TO ADAPT TO OUR EVOLVED ENVIRONMENT

Working hand in hand with hundreds of companies – and our 24,000 employees worldwide – we’re designing Clinical and Commercial solutions every day. Each challenge presents the opportunity to apply key learnings to build better approaches and resiliency.

Diversity in Clinical Trials: The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on diverse populations within the U.S., and the goal of appropriate representation in clinical trials, has increased the focus and prioritization of this important topic. Syneos Health continues to prioritize clinical trial diversity and is launching a four-part webinar series that: identifies obstacles that stifle appropriate patient diversity in clinical trials; unpacks the organizational overhaul needed to effect change; shares case studies where sponsors, patients and investigators have come together to overcome hurdles; and explores how policy innovations can move the industry forward together. Join Chief Scientific Officer Nick Kenny and Dr. Stephen Keith as they moderate expert discussions in the series:

• January 27 – Increasing Trial Diversity: Illuminating a New Path to Equitable and Inclusive Clinical Research
• February 3 – Overcoming Operational Challenges: How Intentional Planning Leads to Patient Diversity in Clinical Trials
• February 10 – ​When it All Works: Case Studies for Success With Patient Diversity in Clinical Trials
• February 17 – ​The Future: How Do We Reach the "Brave New World" of Diverse and Equitable Clinical Trials [link to come]

REAL-TIME RESOURCES

We’re regularly updating our COVID-19 Resource Center with capabilities and perspectives to navigate, deliver and learn together. We are looking to exchange your learnings and experiences, too.  Should you have ideas, comments or concerns, please contact us.

Thank you for your partnership.