Kayentis launches new initiatives to bolster carbon-neutral clinical trials

Grenoble, France, October 27, 2020 – Kayentis, a global provider of eCOA (electronic Clinical Outcome Assessment) solutions for clinical trials, today announces the launch of a set of initiatives to evaluate the carbon footprint of each clinical trial services project it conducts and propose solutions to clients on limiting the CO₂ emissions of their projects.

Kayentis is increasingly engaging in large phase III clinical trials that entail more complex logistics and global patient populations. Its eCOA solutions include issuing devices (smartphones or tablets) to collect patient data.  Since one of the consequences of shipping these devices to numerous clinical sites around the globe is greater carbon emissions, Kayentis is conscious that as a fast-growing company with a rising volume of eCOA projects, its carbon footprint will also grow.

“Kayentis’ new carbon-neutral program initiatives aim to raise awareness among our clients about the carbon footprint of their clinical trial projects and to propose solutions,” said Guillaume Juge, CEO of Kayentis. “While the solutions to reduce the impact of carbon emissions require closer collaboration with our customers, they have no impact on the cost of the study, nor will they lessen the quality or timeliness of the service we provide. The vast majority of our clients are already committed to reducing CO₂ emissions; Kayentis has the tools in place to further support them in their sustainable development endeavors.”

Since 2016, Kayentis has calculated the carbon footprint of each of its 150 employees, enabling the company to closely monitor its carbon footprint and take pro-active steps to implement improvements year on year. It is now extending these initiatives to increase both Kayentis’ carbon-neutrality and those of its pharma and biotech sponsors and Clinical Research Organization (CRO) customers, with a special focus on targeting carbon-neutrality within the eCOA phase of clinical trials.

• “We have calculated that roughly 70% of the carbon footprint at Kayentis is linked to the eCOA projects we conduct,” said Jean-Michel Combe, CSR Manager at Kayentis. “Within this figure, a little over three-quarters is tied to the production of smartphones and tablets that go to clinical sites. Shipping these devices amounts to less than 5%. The remaining 20% is a result of travel undertaken for project management: investigator meetings, User Acceptance Testing (UAT) and site training, etc. With its commitment to carbon-neutrality, Kayentis is taking its initiatives a step further to address CO₂ emissions at the core of its business.”

As COVID-19 has led businesses to adopt new practices, including moving many operations online, that have positively impacted CO₂ emission reductions, Kayentis can see that the clinical trial industry is more readily accommodating of change. The company feels that the timing is right to introduce other carbon-neutral solutions to its customers.

Depending on the protocol of the clinical trial study, solutions could include opting for:

• A webCOA back-up strategy, using an online platform to directly enter patient data rather than stockpile spare devices on each site, or even centralize them at the country level
• Replacing onsite training and face-to-face meetings with virtual ones
• Using refurbished devices – as the lifespan of a device is around four years, refurbishing is a feasible solution for both short-term studies and to replace a device during the course of a study

Having optimized carbon emissions for a project, Kayentis then offsets the amount of residual emissions of the eCOA project by making an equivalent monetary donation to the carbon solidarity action program at the GoodPlanet Foundation. This foundation aims to combat climate change by developing sustainable and economically viable alternatives to polluting activities, to the benefit of the most disadvantaged groups.

“Faced with the threat of climate change, every company and each individual has a key role to play in reducing the global carbon footprint; I am really pleased with the considerable effort that the whole team has made to actively take part,” added Mr. Juge.

About Kayentis

Kayentis, a global expert in electronic data capture for patients in clinical trials, helps sponsors and CROs bring simplicity, efficiency and quality to the collection of clinical trial data from both patients and sites. Kayentis has been involved in clinical development since 2003. Over the last 17 years it has specialized in electronic Clinical Outcome Assessment (eCOA) solutions. It has conducted digital data collection for over 220 clinical trials in 75 countries (12,000 sites and 80,000 patients), employing 120 different languages. The company develops a full range of services and is now enlarging its eCOA solutions portfolio to extend connection with medical devices, as well as to enhance patient engagement.

Headquartered in France, Kayentis also has operations in Boston (MA) and in Tokyo, Japan.

www.kayentis.com