Datavant Acquires Aetion to Boost Real-World Evidence Capabilities in Life Sciences

Datavant, a leading health tech company, has announced its acquisition of Aetion, a real-world evidence (RWE) company, in a move that significantly expands its capabilities in the life sciences sector. The acquisition aims to create an end-to-end RWE platform, enabling more efficient research and decision-making processes for healthcare and life sciences companies.

Expanding Datavant's Real-World Data Ecosystem

Datavant, known for its data exchange network connecting over 70,000 hospitals and clinics, will integrate Aetion's RWE solutions to enhance its offerings. Aetion, with its 220 employees and partnerships with over 40 biopharma organizations and 80 data partners, brings substantial expertise in RWE analytics to the table.

Arnaub Chatterjee, President and General Manager of Life Sciences, Ecosystem and Public Sector at Datavant, emphasized the strategic importance of the acquisition: "By combining Datavant's network and technology with Aetion's advanced analytics and scientific expertise, we are creating a true end-to-end product. This empowers every stakeholder across the healthcare value chain to collaborate more seamlessly and accelerate the delivery of insights that drive better patient outcomes."

Industrializing Real-World Evidence in Clinical Trials

The acquisition comes at a time when the pharmaceutical industry is increasingly adopting real-world data in clinical trials. Datavant has seen significant growth in this area, with the number of clinical trials linked to its real-world data platform expanding from 97 in 2023 to 270 by the end of 2024.

This trend is exemplified by Datavant's recent expanded collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim. The drugmaker plans to use Datavant's privacy-preserving tokenization and data connectivity technologies to support more than 75 clinical trials and multiple new molecular entities, marking a shift towards industrialized, data-driven clinical development.

Financial Outlook and Future Growth

Datavant is on track to achieve over $1 billion in revenue in 2025, according to Chatterjee. The company, which is currently profitable and cash-flow positive, sees the Aetion acquisition as a key step in expanding its life sciences business.

Jeremy Rassen, CEO of Aetion, expressed enthusiasm about the merger: "By joining forces with Datavant, we'll unlock the full potential of real-world evidence to advance confident, data-driven decisions that improve patient care. Today, we are taking a bold step toward realizing our shared vision: a world where health data is seamlessly connected and actionable—so we can answer what treatments work, for whom, and what they should cost."

As the pharmaceutical industry continues to embrace real-world evidence, the combined capabilities of Datavant and Aetion are poised to play a crucial role in shaping the future of drug development and healthcare decision-making.