Business process outsourcing services provider Cognizant has signed a multi-year agreement with AstraZeneca to deliver comprehensive biostatistics and medical reporting services.

Cognizant will provide centralised statistical programming, statistical analysis, medical writing and document publishing services, which will allow AstraZeneca to improve operational efficiency while reducing cycle times and costs.

Cognizant will use its proprietary Cognizant 2.0 platform to support knowledge sharing and collaboration across global teams, enabling clinical studies to be managed internationally while delivering productivity benefits to AstraZeneca.

AstraZeneca Clinical Development vice-president and head Karin Wingstrand said that Cognizant’s IT and business process expertise will allow the company to focus more time, energy and investment into developing innovative medicines.