Pharmaceutical Executive (independent trade outlet)

Real-World Data Brings New Insights to Natural History of Disease Studies

Real‑world data (RWD) is reshaping natural history studies by delivering longitudinal, patient‑level information that was previously only obtainable through costly prospective trials. Advances in artificial intelligence and natural language processing now allow rapid extraction of structured data from unstructured sources such as electronic health records and clinician notes. This enriched, diverse dataset enables researchers to define patient populations, identify biomarkers, and create external control arms, especially for rare diseases. The result is faster, more cost‑effective drug development with higher external validity.