Another North Carolina company is joining the fight in the field against Ebola, but this time not as a provider of a possible vaccine. Winston-Salem based Clinical Ink is being used by a number of firms in the Ebola battle to provide clinical trial data safely through its eData platform.

After all, a first-ever Ebola vaccine will be only as effective as the data supporting research conclusions, especially given the accelerated timeline approved for development and the increasing urgency to produce results. 

Sadly, the Ebola fight is far from over as the announced suspension of a clinical trial on Thursday confirms.

And even as funders line up to provide nearly $390 million to get treatment to Ebola victims, the risk to the doctors and medical professionals in West Africa remains: Another nurse in the U.S. is being monitored after Ebola exposure.

A big conference at the N.C. Biotechnology Center this week provided proof just how seriously healthcare organizations and companies are fighting the outbreak.

So as other clinical trials continue, such as for the GSK vaccine and the use of an antiviral from Durham-based Chimerix continue, how can healthcare providers and other workers gathering trial data be better protected?

Clinical Ink says it has at least part of the solution: Help reduce risk by making the data digital.

“The Ebola outbreak brings into sharp focus the need to update the clinical trial process from one that relies on pen and paper to one that leverages technological advancements like SureSource to save time and save lives,” said Ed Seguine, CEO for Clinical Ink, this week in announcing his firm’s growing use by Ebola-fighting organizations. “SureSource is uniquely positioned to change the clinical trial execution process and we are pleased to have been selected to participate in the effort to find effective treatment options for Ebola.”

The SureSource platform enables real-time analysis and remote review, thus reducing the number of workers who are “in contact” with the virus. The solution also helps speed up analysis. 

As Clinical Ink notes, the Ebola outbreak presents a “particularly acute challenge” to governments and health organizations combating the disease.

Under the stress of such an environment, the availability of eData could relieve some of the pressure on workers in ensuring the accuracy of the important clinical trial data. 

“With SureSource healthcare workers enter information directly on the SureSource tablet eliminating the time consuming process of pen and paper notes, then transcription, then review, then analysis, making trends visible immediately,” the company says.

“Data and documents are available immediately in real-time – which will enable sponsors and regulators to make decisions more quickly.”

Clinical Ink already has demonstrated appeal to investors, which poured $4.3 million into the startup in 2013 in a B round. 

FCA Venture Partners led the round.