Anna Ryden (PhD)

Chief Scientific Officer

Role

Degree

PhD in Medical Psychology

Personal Info

ary@clinigma.com

About

Dr. Anna Rydén brings over three decades of specialized expertise in Clinical Outcome Assessment (COA) and qualitative research methodology. As our Chief Scientific Officer, she leads the scientific rigor behind every patient interview, ensuring your trial captures meaningful, regulatory-grade evidence.

Expertise

Deep Clinical Trial Experience
  • 14+ years as Patient Centered Science Director at AstraZeneca, where she led COA strategies for major oncology and cardiovascular/metabolic trials
  • Direct experience with FDA and EMA regulatory submissions using patient interview data
  • Published author of peer-reviewed articles in top-tier journals including Journal of Lancet Oncology and Value in Health
Therapeutic Area
  • Oncology: Extensive experience with NSCLC, laryngeal cancer, and advanced cancer treatments including osimertinib and durvalumab trials
  • Cardiovascular: Heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and lipid management studies
  • Metabolic: Type 1 & 2 diabetes, obesity research including the landmark Swedish Obese Subjects (SOS) study
  • Gastroenterology: GERD, IBS/IBD
  • Nephrology: Chronic kidney disease
Methodological Excellence
  • PhD in patient-centered obesity research
  • Expert in qualitative interview design, concept elicitation, and cognitive debriefing
  • Proven track record in in development and psychometric validation of patient-reported outcome instruments
  • Advanced statistical expertise including Rasch analysis
Regulatory Success
  • Multiple successful FDA and EMA interactions
  • Co-author of key policy papers on PRO measures in cancer treatment tolerability
Quality Assurance
  • Systematic approach to interview protocol development based on 30+ years of research
  • Rigorous data analysis methodology ensuring scientifically robust findings
  • Experience training and supervising international research teams

Anna brings scientifically sound, regulatory-ready evidence that strengthens your clinical program. Her unique combination of pharmaceutical industry insight, academic rigor, and regulatory experience ensures your patient voice data meets the highest standards for drug development success.

Publications

Engström C.-P, Persson L-O, Larsson S, Rydén A, Sullivan M. Functional status and well being in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with regard to clinical parameters and smoking. A descriptive and comparative study. Thorax, 1996, 51(8):825-830.

Montgomery H, Persson L-O, Rydén A. Importance and attainment of life values among disabled and non-disabled people. Scand J Rehab Med, 1996, 28:233-240.

Rydén A, Karlsson J, Persson L-O, Sjöström L, Taft C, Sullivan M. Obesity-related coping and distress and relations to treatment preference. Brit J Clin Psychol, 2001, 40:177-188.

Elfström M, Rydén A, Kreuter M, Persson L-O, Sullivan M. Linkages between coping and psychological outcome in the spinal cord lesioned: development of SCL-related measures. Spinal Cord, 2002, 40:23-29.

Elfström M, Kreuter M, Rydén A, Persson L-O, Sullivan, M. Effects of coping on psychological outcome when controlling for background variables: a study of traumatically spinal cord lesioned persons. Spinal Cord, 2002, 40:408-415.

Rydén A, Karlsson J, Sullivan M, Torgerson J S, Taft C. Coping and distress: What happens after intervention? A 2-year follow-up from the Swedish Obese Subjects (SOS) study. Psychosom Med, 2003, 65 (3):435-442.

Rydén A, Sullivan M, Torgerson J S, Karlsson J, Lindroos A-K, Taft C. Severe obesity and personality: A comparative controlled study of personality traits. Int J Obes, 2003, 27:1534-1540

Rydén A, Sullivan M, Torgerson J S, Karlsson J, Lindroos A-K, Taft C. A comparative controlled study of personality in severe obesity: A two-year follow-up after intervention. Int J Obes, 2004, 28:1485-1493.

Elfström M, Rydén A, Kreuter, M, Taft C, Sullivan M. Relations between of coping strategies and health-related quality of life in patients with spinal cord lesion. J Rehab Med, 2005, 37:9-16.

Persson L-O, Engström C-P, Rydén A, Larsson S, Sullivan M. Life values in COPD patients, relation to pulmonary functioning, perceived functional status and mood: a comparative and follow-up study. Quality Life Res, 2005, 14:349-359.

Persson L-O, Rydén A. Themes of effective coping in physical disability: An interview study of 26 persons who have learnt to live with their disability. Scand J Caring Sci, 2006; 20:355-366.

Karlsson J, Rydén A, Sjöström L, Sullivan M, Taft C. Ten-year trends in health-related quality of life after surgical and conventional treatment for severe obesity - the SOS intervention study. Int J Obes, 2007, 31:1248-1261.

Johansson M, Finizia C, Degl’ Innocenti A, Rydén A. Is a line the same as a box? Speech assessments by VAS is not superior to Likert scales in laryngeal cancer patients. Med Sci Monit, 2007, 13:CR481-487.

Johansson M, Rydén A, Finizia C. Self-evaluation of communication experiences after laryngeal cancer – A longitudinal questionnaire study in patients with laryngeal cancer. BMC Cancer, 2008, 8:80.

Risberg-Berlin B, Rydén A, Ylitalo R, Finizia R. Development of a clinical instrument improving rehabilitation of olfaction with the Nasal Airflow-Inducing Maneuver in Swedish laryngectomized patients. Acta Otolaryngol, 2008, 31:1-7.

Risberg-Berlin B, Rydén A, Ylitalo R, Finizia R. Effects of total laryngectomy on olfactory function, health-related quality of life, and communication: a 3-year follow-up study. BMC Ear Nose Throat Disord, 2009, 9:8.

Sundberg T, Petzold M, Wändell P, Rydén A, Falkenberg T. Exploring integrative medicine for back and neck pain – a pragmatic randomised clinical trial. BMC Complementary Alternative Med, 2009, 9:33.

Andersson O, Rydén A, Ruth M, Ylitalo Möller R, Finizia C. Validation of a laryngopharyngeal reflux questionnaire, the Pharyngeal Reflux Symptom Questionnaire. Scand J Gastroenterol, 2010, 45:147-159.

Andersson O, Rydén A, Ruth M, Ylitalo Möller R, Finizia C. Validation of the Swedish translation of LPR-HRQL. Med Sci Monit, 2010, 16:CR480-87.

Johansson M, Rydén A, Finizia C. Mental adjustment to cancer and its relation to anxiety, depression, HRQL, and survival in patients with laryngeal cancer – A longitudinal study. BMC Cancer, 2011, 11:283.

Finizia C, Rudberg I, Bergqvist H, Rydén A. A cross-sectional validation study of the Swedish version of SWAL-QOL. Dysphagia, 2012, 27:325-35.

Johansson M, Finizia C, Ahlberg K, Rydén A. “Setting Boundaries” – Mental Adjustment to Cancer in Laryngeal Cancer Patients: An interview study. Eur J Oncol Nurs, 2012, 16;419-425.

Carlsson S, Rydén A, Bove M, Bergquist H, Finizia C. Validation of the Swedish M. D. Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI) in patients with head and neck cancer and neurologic swallowing disturbances. Dysphagia, 2012, 27:361-369.

Vakil N, Björck K, Denison H, Halling K, Karlsson M, Paty J, Silberg DG, Rydén A. Validation of the Reflux Symptom Questionnaire electronic Diary in partial responders to proton pump inhibitor therapy. Clin Transl Gastroenterol, 2012, 3, e7; doi:10.1038/ctg.2012.1.

Johnson J, Carlsson S, Johansson M, Pauli N, Rydén A, Fagerberg-Mohlin B, Finizia C. Development and validation of the Gothenburg Trismus Questionnaire (GTQ). Oral Onc, 2012, 48:730-736.

Rydén A, Martin M, Halling K, Niklasson A. Nighttime symptoms and their impact on sleep in patients with a partial response to proton pump inhibitor therapy. The Patient – Patient Centered Outcomes Research, 2013, 6:307-314.

Rydén A, Denison H, Karlsson M, Vakil N. Development and validation of a patient-reported outcome instrument in partial responders to proton pump inhibitors. Scand J Gastroenter,2013, 48:1018-26.

Johnson J, Johansson M, Rydén A, Houltz E, Finizia C. Impact of trismus on health-related quality of life and mental health. Head and Neck, 2015, 37:1672-1679.

Vakil N, Niklasson A, Denison H, Rydén A. Symptom profile in partial responders to proton pump inhibitor compared with treatment-naïve patients with Gastroesophageal reflux disease. BMC Gastroenterology, 2014, 14:177.

Vakil N, Niklasson A, Denison H, Rydén A. Gender differences in symptoms in partial responders to proton pump inhibitors for gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. UEG Journal, 2015, 3: 443–452.

Grandy S, Sternhufvud C, Rydén A, Sugg J, Rohwedder K. Patient-reported outcomes among Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus patients treated with Dapagliflozin triple therapy regimen for 52 weeks. Diab Obes Metab. 2016 Mar;18(3):306-9.

Rydén A, Wolfe M, Martin M. Patient-reported symptoms and perceptions of treatment success: a qualitative interview study in patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing hemodialysis. J Clin Nephrol Ren Care, 2016, 2:005.

Rydén A, Leavy OC, Halling K, Stone A. Comparison of daily versus weekly recording of gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms in patients with a partial response to proton pump inhibitor therapy. Value in Health, 2016,19:829-833.

Rydén A, Sörstadius E, Bergenheim K, Romanovschi A, Thorén F, Witt E, Sternhufvud C. The humanistic burden of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus in Europe: Examining health outcomes and the role of complications. PLOS One 2016, Nov 3;11(11):e0164977.

Rydén A, Chen S, Flood E, Romero B, Grandy S. Discrete choice experiment attribute selection using a multinational interview study: treatment features important to patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The Patient, 2017, 10:475-487.

Reaney M, McHorney CA, Curtis B, Rydén A, Chassany O, Gwaltney C. Using individual experiences with experimental medications to predict medication-taking behaviour post-authorization - a DIA study endpoints workstream. Therapeutic Innovation & Regulatory Science, 2017.

Rydén A, Blackhall F, Kim HR, Pillai RN, Braam L, Martin M, Walding A. Patient experience of symptoms and side effects when treated with osimertinib (AZD9291) for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: a qualitative Interview substudy. The Patient, 2017, 10:593-603.

Niklasson A, Paty J, Rydén A. Talking about breast cancer: Which symptoms and treatment side effects are important to patients? The Patient, 2017, 10:719-727.

Coyne K, Edvardsson N, Rydén A. Development and validation of the AFImpact™: an atrial fibrillation-specific measure of patient-reported health-related quality of life. Value in Health, 2017, 20:1355-1361.

Kluetz P, Kanapuru B Lemery S, Johnson LL, Fiero MH, Arscott K, Barbachano Y, Basch E, Campbell M, Cappelleri JC, Cella D, Cleeland C, Coens C, Daniels S, Denlinger C, Fairclough DL, Hillard JR, Minasian L, Mitchell SA, O’Connor D, Patel S, Rubin EH, Rydén A, Soltys K, Sridhara R, Thanarajasingam G, Velikova G, Coons SJ. Policy Perspective: Informing the Tolerability of Cancer Treatments Using Patient-Reported Outcome (PRO) Measures: Summary of an FDA and Critical Path Institute Workshop. Value in Health, 2017, 21:742-747.

Lee CK, Novello S, Rydén A, Mann H, Mok T. Patient-reported symptoms and impact of treatment with osimertinib vs chemotherapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer - the AURA3 trial. J Clin Oncol, 2018, 36:1853-1860.

Sebastian M, Rydén A, Walding A, Papadimitrakopoulou V. Patient-reported symptoms possibly related to treatment with osimertinib or chemotherapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Lung Cancer, 2018, 122:100-106.

Hui R, Özgüroğlu M, Villegas A, Daniel D, Vicente D, Murakami S, Yokoi T, Chiappori A, Lee KH, de Wit M, Cho BC, Gray JE, Rydén A, Viviers L, Poole L, Zhang Y, Dennis PA, Antonia SJ. Patient-reported outcomes with durvalumab after chemoradiation in stage III, unresectable non-small cell-lung cancer (PACIFIC): a randomised, controlled phase 3 study. Lancet Oncol, 2019, 20;1670-1680.

Leighl N, Karaseva N, Nakagawa K, Cho BC, Gray J, Hovey T, Walding A, Rydén A, Novello S. Patient-reported outcomes from FLAURA: Osimertinib versus erlotinib or gefitinib in patients with EGFR-mutated advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Eur J Cancer, 2020, 125:49-57.

Garassino MC, Paz-Ares L, Hui R, Faivre-Finn C, Spira A, Planchard D, Özgüroğlu M, Daniel D,Vicente D, Murakami S, Rydén A, Zhang Y, O’Brien C, Dennis PA, Antonia SJ. Patient-reported outcomes with durvalumab by PD-L1 expression and prior chemoradiotherapy-related variables in unresectable, Stage III non-small-cell lung cancer. Future Oncol, 2021, 17:1165-1184.

Martin M, Corell J, Walding A, Rydén A. How patients being treated for NSCLC value treatment benefit regardless of side effects. Quality of Life Research, 2022, 31:135-146.

Flythe J, Karlsson N, Sundgren A, Cordero P, Grandinetti A, Cremisi H, Rydén A. Development of a preliminary conceptual model of the patient experience of chronic kidney disease: a targeted literature review and analysis. BMC Nephrology, 2021, 22:233. doi.org/10.1186/s12882-021-02440-9

Martin M, Chung H, Rydén A. Willingness to report treatment-related symptoms of immunotherapy among patients with non-small-cell lung cancer. Quality of Life Research, 2022, 31:1147-1155.

Niklasson A, Maher J, Patil R, Sillén H, Chen J, Gwaltney J, Rydén A. Living with Heart Failure: Patient experiences and implications for physical activity and daily living. ESC Heart Failure, 2022, 9:1206-1215.

Walding A, Casamayor M, Skaltsa K, Rydén A. Definition of Time to Deterioration in NSCLC symptoms. Quality of Life Research, 2022, 31:2535-2543. doi.org/10.1007/s11136-022-03088-0

Rydén A, Nolan S, Maher J, Meyers O, Kündig A, Bjursell M. Understanding the experience of chronic kidney disease stages 2-3b: a qualitative interview study with Kidney Disease Quality of Life (KDQOL-36) debrief. BMC Nephrology 2022, 23:201. doi.org/10.1186/s12882-022-02826-3

Rolstad S, Adler J, Rydén A. Response burden and questionnaire length: Is shorter better? Review and Meta-analysis. Value in Health, 2011, 14:1101-1108.

Chassany O, Karlsson M, Shaheen N, Hughes N, Rydén A. Systematic review: Methodological aspects of patient-reported outcomes in gastroesophageal reflux disease and dyspepsia.  Scand J Gastroenterol, 2012, 47:1412-1421.

Vakil N, Halling K, Becher A, Rydén A. Systematic review of patient reported outcome instruments for gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol, 2013, 25:2-14.

Naegeli AN, Hanlon J, Gries KS, Safikhani S, Ryden A, Patel M, Crescioni M, Vernon M. Literature review to charactarize the empirical basis for response scale selection in pediatric populations. Patient-Reported Outcomes, 2018, 2:39.

Nakagawa K, Leigh N, Karaseva N, Cho B, Gray J, Hovey T, Walding A, Rydén A, Novello S. Patient-reported outcomes from FLAURA: osimertininb vs SoC EGFR-TKI in patients with EGFR-mutated advanced NSCLC. JSMO, Kobe, 2018.