Leidos, Fortanix utilize Intel SGX to accelerate clinical drug trial process

The Intel SGX technology and the Fortanix Confidential Computing Manager, which enables applications to run in confidential computing environments, provide the foundation for creating a distributed network of trusted computing environments, enabling Leidos to deliver services that facilitate the real-time sharing of critical data while meeting the stringent patient and industry compliance regulations.

Tech leader Leidos and Fortanix have joined forces with Intel to utilize the latter's Software Guard Extension (Intel SGX) security technology to help streamline and accelerate the clinical drug trial process.

Intel SGX is a set of instructions that increase the security of application code and data, offering them more protection from disclosure or modification.

The Intel SGX technology and the Fortanix Confidential Computing Manager, which enables applications to run in confidential computing environments, provide the foundation for creating a distributed network of trusted computing environments, enabling Leidos to deliver services that facilitate the real-time sharing of critical data while meeting the stringent patient and industry compliance regulations.

Real-world data (RWD) including electronic health records has the potential to increase the efficiency of the traditional drug development process and improve future clinical trial design. However, collecting RWD while preserving patient privacy and complying with HIPAA and other regulations has historically been a huge technological challenge, Intel said on Wednesday.

Intel SGX enclaves (private regions of memory or Trusted Execution Environments), orchestrated using Fortanix CCM, now enable Leidos to create a distributed trusted computing environment that meets all these requirements. The latter leverages Intel SGX to create a centralized research portal where enclaves capture, encrypt and analyze data. These secure enclaves at RWD endpoints receive queries, verify policy approvals, gather data and return requests to the centralized portal.

Further, with the Fortanix Self-Defending Key Management Service, the requested clinical data is tokenized and remains encrypted at rest, in transit and in use.

"Technology now gives us the tools to securely share private information between parties and create a collaborative, real-time clinical information system. By addressing security concerns at the hardware level, Intel SGX creates a trusted computing environment that helps ensure data integrity and privacy," said Chris Gough, general manager, Health and Life Sciences at Intel.