Blockchain in Clinical Trials

Update – May 2025

Since my original post six years ago, many of the ideas and proposed blockchain solutions in Pharma and Healthcare remain largely conceptual. There has been limited visible progress in terms of broad implementation.

One notable development was the FDA’s pilot project under the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA), which aimed to evaluate interoperability of systems for tracing prescription drugs. The final report was published and described the pilot as successful.

However, there is still little publicly available information regarding the cost evaluation of blockchain-based solutions, or the specific technical architectures used (e.g., Web3 identifiers, DAOs, or private blockchain networks).

📄 References

1. FDA (2023).

DSCSA Pilot Project Program: Final Report.

https://www.fda.gov/media/168279/download

2. Chronicled / MediLedger (n.d.).

Success Stories – Real-World Blockchain Applications in Pharma Supply Chain.

https://www.chronicled.com/success-stories

3. FDA (2023).

MediLedger DSCSA Pilot Project Report.

https://www.fda.gov/media/168283/download

2019 post references:

Pfizer and Genentech Turn To Ethereum Blockchain

https://www.ethnews.com/pfizer-and-genentech-turn-to-ethereum-blockchain

Blockchain technology for improving clinical research quality
https://trialsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13063-017-2035-z

Silicon Valley Business Institute | Blockchain | GDIS 2018 Project Launch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaijbFIYJPg

Panel 1: The Future of Healthcare, Powered by Blockchain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVlDYaN1FJE

Pharma Integrates 2018: Blockchain: More efficient and secure
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBm786NfiPU

Blockchain: Understanding Its Uses and Implications
https://courses.edx.org/courses/course-v1:LinuxFoundationX+LFS170x+2T2018/course/

Coworking, Cafe, Events - in Zürich and around

Coworking is a self-directed, collaborative, flexible and voluntary work that is based on mutual trust and the sharing of common core values between its participants.

TESSINERPLATZ

Coworking Lounge,

Tessinerplatz 7, 8002 Zurich

https://www.tessinerplatz.ch/events

ImpactHUB Zurich 

https://zurich.impacthub.ch/events/

CAFÉ AUER&CO

Sihlquai 131

8005 Zürich

Schweiz

https://zurich.impacthub.ch/spaces/auer-co/

Selnaustrasse 25

Zürich

Schweiz

https://zurich.impacthub.ch/spaces/kraftwerk-location/

Spheres

Hardturmstrasse 66

CH-8005 Zürich

https://spheres.cc/buehne/kalender/

BUBBLES, 

Strassburgstrasse 15, 

8004 Zürich, BEIM STAUFFACHER,

http://www.cafe-bubbles.ch/Veranstaltungen/

Locations:

https://www.coworking.coffee/
https://www.wework.com/
https://www.meetup.com/
https://coworkingmap.org/
https://www.coworkingresources.org/blog/top-websites-to-list-and-find-a-coworking-space
https://citizen-space.ch/#events

Project Management Software

• What is a Project Management System or Project Management Software? 
• Is there a common understanding on functionality of such system and if it is needed at all? 
• What systems project managers use for projects?

Project Management System should be one to help Project Managers to manage Projects. The word "project" originally meant "before an action" or plan of something. Projects are defined by PMI as Temporary endeavor (having start and end) to create a unique product, service or result. Project managers are to manage timelines, budget and scope. PMI  defines 5 process groups (from start to end) and 10 knowledge areas.

Project Management Software definition in Wikipedia is vague and open to interpretations:

• Project management software has the capacity to help plan, organize, and manage resource tools and develop resource estimates. Depending on the sophistication of the software, it can manage estimation and planning, scheduling, cost control and budget management, resource allocation, collaboration software, communication, decision-making, quality management and documentation or administration systems. 

Definition of Project Management Information System (PMIS) in Wikipedia is also far from being exact: 

• Project management information system can vary from something as simple as a File system containing Microsoft Excel documents, to a full blown enterprise PMIS software.
• A project management system (PMS) could be a part of a PMIS or sometimes an external tool beside project management information system. PMS is basically an aggregation of the processes, tools, techniques, methodologies, resources, and procedures to manage a project. What a PMIS does is to manage all stakeholders in a project such as the project owner, client, contractors, sub-contractors, in-house staff, workers, managers etc

Wikipedia also proved a list of project manager systems, comparing software not by function but by License, Programming language, if this is web based, on-premises or Saas : Comparison of project management software

Searching for definition of Project Management Software (or System) on google, brings a lot of paid advertisements of tools. Many system offer a free 30 days trial or, as Proggio, can even be free for 1 project and limited number of users.

There is a good collection of Project Management Software @ Capterra with a possibility to benchmark systems by platform, features, client rating etc. Comparison of Celoxis, JIRA, LiquidPlanned and Monday is below as example:

https://www.capterra.com/project-management-software/compare/5923-19319-82678-147657/Celoxis-vs-JIRA-vs-LiquidPlanner-vs-monday-com

There is also Capterra's benchmark as follows:
https://www.capterra.com/sem-compare/project-management-software?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI1Mugy72a4QIVCs53Ch13_gXuEAAYAiAAEgIdYfD_BwE

Despite there are so many systems and tools, the question about Project Management Software and availability of good systems is still open.