Real World Evidence (RWE)
Real World Evidence (RWE) studies and research services
Medaffcon uniquely combines medical and health economic perspectives with modern data solutions. Our high-quality services result from extensive content and process expertise and a strong cooperation network in the pharmaceutical industry, healthcare, the academy, and the research community.
Real World Evidence (RWE) studies and research services
Our Market Access services help pharmaceutical companies bring their drugs to the right patients at the right time and at the right price.
Our Medical Affairs team provides flexible and agile services to pharmaceutical companies.
Expert resources for your company's needs
Multiple myeloma significantly increases the risk of infections. A recent real-world evidence (RWE) study revealed that multiple myeloma (MM) patients experience more infections compared to healthy controls, even prior to diagnosis. Infections, both before and after diagnosis, were associated with an increased mortality.
Despite its high-risk nature and availability of kidney treatments, chronic kidney disease (CKD) often goes undiagnosed. This especially concerns patients without type 2 diabetes (T2D), who represent the majority of CKD patients. This finding comes from a recent registry study published in Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation (NDT).
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming research and working life across various industries. But what is its significance in health data analysis and real-world evidence (RWE) research? Medaffcon’s experts, Juhani Aakko and Lisse-Lotte Hermansson, share their perspectives on AI in their work.
Sr. Scientific Advisor
RWE Lead
PhD
+358 50 345 2393
mariann.lassenius@medaffcon.fi
Mariann joined Medaffcon’s team in 2016 after finishing her PhD. The transition to real world evidence (RWE) research was a natural continuum to her previous research career. Through RWE studies, she has had the privilege to gain a broad insight into working with different stakeholders within the healthcare field. The vast proportion of her days goes towards interacting with clients, planning and performing RWE studies, and supporting Medaffcon’s RWE team. Subjects that keep her work interesting are the vast variability of customers and projects, problem-solving, and interacting with people.
“The number of RWE studies has increased since stakeholders within the healthcare industry have an increasing demand for knowledge-based decision making tools that need to be fulfilled. The future, therefore, has an ever-increasing emphasis on RWE”.
Biostatistician
Data Analysis Lead
MSc (Tech.)
+358 44 314 1597
iiro.toppila@medaffcon.fi
Iiro joined Medaffcon in March 2017 as a Biostatistician. For the preceding four years, he has worked as a research assistant in an academic study group, analyzing clinical and genetic patient data. Iiro holds a Master of Science degree in Technology in Bioinformation Technology.
Iiro’s strengths include his strong expertise in statistics and data-analysis, hands-on experience in working with sensitive patient data, and strong interdisciplinary communication skills with experts from various fields. In the field, he is particularly interested in the large data amounts made available with the revolution of technology and how the information received such data can potentially be utilized to draw concrete conclusions, both in order to understand the nature of diseases and to advance the goals of the pharmaceutical industry and patient treatment.
“Machine learning and AI-based solutions will have a major impact on the healthcare sector now and in the future. However, effectively utilizing the already collected and available health-data will have a higher importance in order to improve health-care”.
Sr. Scientific Project Manager
Medical Affairs Lead
MSc (Food Science), MBA
+358 40 510 0838
kristiina.pelli@medaffcon.fi
Kristiina joined Medaffcon as a Business development manager in 2012. She started her career in a CRO, after which she worked in scientific advisor and line manager positions in two large pharmaceutical organizations, now reaching already 15 years in the business. Kristiina holds master’s degrees in both Nature Sciences and Business (Henley MBA).
At Medaffcon, nowadays as a Medical Affairs team lead, Kristiina leverages her long experience from various stakeholders in the business and her vast therapeutic area expertise in close collaboration with her team to the benefit of customer assignments. When asking what the best part of this work is, she refers to the fast change and the continuous strive for the better, for all of us, as health care service utilizers. ”Every year, I feel that never before have we been working on such vast and important topics and yet, next year the feeling is the same again”.
Principal Consultant
MSc (Economics)
+358 40 139 4001
jarmo.hahl@medaffcon.fi
Jarmo joined Medaffcon as a partner and CEO in 2010, having previously worked in various expert and management positions in pharma companies for eight years. Jarmo has a degree in economics and before entering the pharmaceutical industry, he held an office at the Turku School of Economics and also worked as a research fellow at Turku University Hospital.
Jarmo has strong expertise in new health technology innovations and how the demands and expectations of authorities, markets and customers are matched. He also brings to Medaffcon extensive experience in health economics and its applications in research and commercialization, as well as a broad understanding of the ever-changing operating environment.
“From an access point of view, the Finnish health technology market is constantly becoming more demanding and therefore also more attractive from my point of view. On the other hand, increasing demands to demonstrate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of healthcare are broadening the scope and opportunities for Medaffcon to be involved in the development of healthcare as a whole”.
Managing Director
MSc (Tech.), B.Sc. (Econ.)
+358 44 251 7840
heikki.koski@medaffcon.fi
Heikki Koski started as the CEO of Medaffcon in April 2024. Prior to this role, he worked as the Director of Service Business and Development at Tamro and as a board member of Tamro’s subsidiary, Medaffcon, since 2020. As a board member, Koski collaborated with CEO Jarmo Hahl in developing Medaffcon’s business. Koski continues to serve as a member of Tamro’s executive team.
Koski has extensive experience in service business, as well as in leading and developing digital business. At Tamro, he has been responsible for data services, e-commerce and service platform MyTamro, the health technology service Smila and Tamro’s business development, strategy processes. Prior to Tamro, Koski held various leadership roles at Finavia, including Airport Director and Chief Digital Officer. He has also worked as a consultant, entrepreneur and in product management at Nokia. Koski holds a Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering and Management and has also studied finance at Aalto University.
At Medaffcon, Koski brings strong expertise in service and digital business management and development, including the establishment of operating models and processes for expert organizations, strategy implementation and development, and internationalization.
In Medaffcon and the healthcare sector, Koski is motivated by the meaningfulness of the work. “It is crucial for every individual that the most effective treatments are made available. Technology accelerates development in the field, both in drug development and in building new ways of working. The significance and potential of health data are immense – the utilization of health data in the development and evaluation of treatment methods is constantly growing.”
Country Director Sweden
M.Sc (Econ.) & M.Sc (Health Econ)
+46 73 447 47 27
lisse-lotte.hermansson@medaffcon.se
Lisse-Lotte started at Medaffcon 1st of October 2024. Previously she was at a Swedish-German company as CSO Chief Scientific Officer, consulting European companies about Nordic health data opportunities and market access. She has a M.Sc (Econ.) from Helsingin School of Economics and a M.Sc (Health Econ) from Karolinska. Additionally a Ph.D student at the University of Turku in Health Economics. She has obtained a long experience from global pharma and medtech. She has lived over 20 years in Sweden.
The current development gives new possibilities to utilise data. With AI we can produce synthetic data and build digital twins that can actually support drug development and support healthcare providers. Innovative solutions are only useful if they are adopted to daily practice.
Old ways of working will vanish and RWD will be acknowledged as an excellent option or support for RCTs. As RWD is enabling more cost-effective evidence generation for new treatments. Treatments need to be more personalised so that the right drugs, diagnostics and devices are used for the right patients at the right time.