Cerner finds a treasure in data mining - St. Louis Business Journal:

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The North Kansas City-based health care information technology known mostly forthe health-record softwars sold to hospitals and clinics, is leveraging the billionsx of anonymous patient records it has at its disposal as marketabled information to pharmaceutical companies and researchers. Cerner said the data operatiomn is a big reasonm revenue for its LifeSciences Group has increasefd by roughly 20 percent duringy each of the past five Mark Hoffman, the company’s life sciencesa solutions vice president, predicted that annual growth will be greater still in the future.
“Thise is just the beginning for us in thelife sciences,” he Included in Cerner’s data warehouse are 1.2 billion lab results. It also has smaller numbers of medication orders and other The company collects the informationthrouggh data-sharing agreements with roughly 125 of its softwarde clients. By some it can take as long as 17 yearsand $1.2 billiomn to develop a single drug. Cerner’s data-mining capabilities can quicken that process and save money for drug companies by helpinb the companies establish a study protocok that maximizes the number of eligible candidates fora “We believe that can actually eventually reducer the cost of drug Hoffman said.
Cerner would not name its pharmaceuticak customers. Pharmaceutical companies and clinical researchera pay for Cerner data forothere reasons, said Scott director of the ’s Office of Therapeutics Discovery and Development. He said Cerner’d data-mining capability can point scientists to potential new uses for existing For instance, Weir said, Cerner’s databasd might suggest that a drug used to treat cardiovascular disease could be helpful in treatint cancer patients. Researchers then could run a clinical trialk to testthe idea. The data is usefup to drug companies for much thesame reason, Weir including helping them identify and correct side effects from drugs.
The KU Cancer Centere has used Cerner’s data-mining capabilities for several “They uncover information we woulenever discover,” Weir said. “It’s He said Cerner stands to benefit as well, from collaborations with researchers that can lead to intellectual propert y that produces licensing fees and Cerner also can work with researchers such as Dr. Stephehn Spielberg, director of the Centert for Personalized Medicine and Therapeutic Innovationat . Spielbert seeks a $3.9 million grant from the for a studuy of how the center can better capturre data in pediatric cancer studies usingCerner software.