BC Platforms Expands Data Partner Network with Major Brazilian Cardiovascular Health Institution

Enables access to additional Latin America data to support equitable healthcare in cardiovascular R&D

12 June 2023 - Zurich, Switzerland - BC Platforms (BCP), a global leader in healthcare data management and analytics, today announces the addition of one of Brazil’s leading cardiology centres, Hospital do Coração (HCor), to its Global Data Partner network, BCRQUEST.COM, to drive insights into drug discovery and development through analytics and realize the potential of real-world data worldwide. Today BCRQUEST.COM holds rich real-world data from more than 65 million patient lives on 6 continents including North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. 

HCor is a multidisciplinary healthcare institution, established as a reference centre of excellence in cardiology with expertise in over fifty specialties. HCor possesses valuable longitudinal patient data, including on cardiovascular conditions such as atrial fibrillation, heart failure, and stroke. Today BCRQUEST.COM holds rich real-world data from more than 65 million patient lives on 6 continents including North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. 

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading contributor to years lost due to disability or premature death among adults [1]. In Brazil alone, cardiovascular disease is responsible for nearly one third of deaths, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable in the population [2].Genetic characterization could enable earlier and potentially tailored prevention. Much work has been done to produce polygenic risk scores to inform clinical decision making on the management of CVD. BC Platforms previously announced its partnership with a Mexican genotype & phenotype biobank, the biggest in Latin America, which has a native American and European mix. Importantly, people in Latin America have a wide range of haplotypes that can differ from sets found in N. America and Europe. Using hospital-derived patient data to understand these differences, and how they affect patient outcomes, is a major area of research for global pharmaceutical companies developing new CVD medicines.

Dr Carolin Bender, CMO at BC Platforms, said, “More diverse and representative global healthcare data is crucial in reducing existing biases in healthcare research and achieving equitable healthcare. We have been providing our world leading healthcare data analytics platform in Latin America for years to help change the face of healthcare and wellbeing there and far beyond. We are delighted to partner with Hospital do Coraçao to provide access to real world data from patients affected by cardiovascular diseases and thus further driving innovation in the field of healthcare and research.”

Dr Alexandre Biasi, Director of Education and Research at HCor, said, “HCor has embraced digitalization in recent years, integrating technology into its operational processes across different sectors, as we provide healthcare at scale and pace to around 80,000 patients a day, including significant numbers with atrial fibrillation and stroke. This collaboration with BC Platforms, to make use of the company’s industry leading RWD data platform BCRQuest.com, accelerates that trend, reflecting HCor's commitment to leveraging advancements in high-quality healthcare to improve patient outcomes and overall efficiency.”

With around 10,520 annual hospitalizations serving the municipality of São Paulo, and an average daily patient count of 79,469, the institution handles a significant volume of cases while upholding high-quality care standards. The institution’s patient care is underpinned with around 3million clinical pathology tests a year. Since 2021, HCor has made significant strides in digitalization by implementing an electronic medical records system and integrating technology across various sectors of its operations.

CVD professionals are increasingly calling for better tools to analyze large datasets from various sources, including electronic health records, genetic data, lifestyle information, and environmental factors. Identifying patterns, correlations, and risk factors associated with CVDs could lead to developing novel predictive models that assess an individual's risk of developing CVDs, allowing for targeted preventive interventions and personalized treatment strategies. BC Platforms’ data may prove invaluable to achieving this goal and contribute to advancing new therapeutic options for the widespread treatment of CVD.

The worldwide CVD drugs industry is expected to reach over USD 96 billion by 2026 [3]. BMS, Bayer AG, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, and Pfizer are the leading pharma companies by CVD sales [4].

References

[1] https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001077

[2] Moraes de Oliveira GM et al (2022) Arq Bras Cardiol 118 (1) https://doi.org/10.36660/abc.20211012

[3] Fortune Business Insights Report - Cardiovascular Drug Market https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/cardiovascular-drugs-market-100379

[4] PMLiVE. Top 20 pharma companies by cardiovascular sales https://www.pmlive.com/top_pharma_list/cardiovascular_revenues