Abstract B110: Bridging the academic-industry gap to promote health equity: RE-AIMing the implementation of the AKRIVIS GDTM test go-to-market strategy
Authors: Harrison Margo 
Published: March 2024

Purpose: This article describes how AOADx is taking a well-known academic implementation science approach, guided by the RE-AIM framework, to ensure that the company is designing for health equity with the development and dissemination of its tests. Brief Description: Implementation science is the field of research that studies how evidence-based interventions are adopted into routine practice to improve the quality and effectiveness of health services.2 RE-AIM is a conceptual model that describes the impact any intervention can have as being a result of its reach, efficacy, adoption, implementation, and maintenance.1 Publications on the application of RE-AIM to the biotechnology field or in the area of diagnostics is still nascent, with most studies focusing on ultrasound applications. Results: AOADx has outlined guidance in designing for health equity as it starts to plan for the development and go-to-market strategy of its ovarian cancer diagnostic, AKRIVIS GDTM.9 The test is a liquid biopsy that serves as an aid in diagnosing ovarian cancer among women with signs and symptoms suggestive of the disease. To promote the Reach of the product in advancing health equity, AOADx will ensure representativeness of their foundational clinical trial for external validity and development of a test that is easy to obtain at the most accessible national laboratories. To promote Effectiveness of the product in advancing health equity, AOADx will evaluate test performance across subpopulations from a diagnostic and cost perspective. To advance Adoption of the product in an equitable manner, marketing will be targeted to specific populations through stakeholder involvement, ensuring that communications are adapted based on end user feedback. To promote health equity through Implementation of their product, AOADx will incorporate team and systems science as well as health equity principles into the sales strategy. To ensure health equity continues to be Maintained, adoption, equity, and sustainability of device utilization will be measured at scale, and AOADx will ensure multiple insurers cover the device in multiple clinical settings. Conclusion: AOADx is committed to designing its ovarian cancer diagnostic test, AKRIVIS GDTM, so a diverse and inclusive population will have access to the device. This requires planning for how to reach a heterogeneous market, ensuring the diagnostic performs equally well across subpopulations, designing communications tailored to various consumers, building equity principles into the sales strategy, and specifically measuring how the device performs on equity metrics, including cost considerations. It is AOADx’s belief that establishing these parameters from the outset will set a model for other biotechnology companies to follow and will be a step toward promoting health equity.

Citation Format: Margo Harrison. Bridging the academic-industry gap to promote health equity: RE-AIMing the implementation of the AKRIVIS GDTM test go-to-market strategy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Ovarian Cancer; 2023 Oct 5-7; Boston, Massachusetts. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(5 Suppl_2):Abstract nr B110.