CRO

Merck expands deal with Greenphire to include patient ride-share program

Merck & Co. has expanded its agreement with Greenphire in a deal that includes using the clinical trial financial process automation company’s ride-share program for trial patients.

The latest deal incorporates Greenphire’s ClinCard program that was designed to help reduce the financial and logistical burdens on participants, the company said in a March 13 press release.

Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. Greenphire works with pharmas and CROs to leverage its financial lifecycle management software for clinical trials.

According to a recent Tufts University study cited by Greenphire, the two best enhancements that can be made to increase patient participation in trials are expense reimbursement and transportation assistance, which have consistently been shown to be obstacles to recruitment and retention.

The ClinCard program doesn’t put those costs on sites and makes sure patients are reimbursed quickly. Greenphire partnered with Lyft in 2018 to book and reimburse rides for study participants.