CRO

TrialSpark debuts first clinical trial sites as part of deal with Novartis

New York-based tech CRO TrialSpark launched its first clinical trial sites as part of a partnership with Novartis that takes a new direction.

TrialSpark’s approach addresses issues with trial participants who don’t live near large academic centers or hospital-based trial sites by allowing them to participate at their local doctor’s office. The new model is designed to accelerate clinical trials by expanding the pool of patient participants.

To support the new approach, the company built an end-to-end tech platform that includes precision-targeted recruitment, algorithmically prioritized queues, risk-based quality monitoring and cloud-based CTMS/eSource data capture.

“If you don’t live near an academic center or an existing trial site, you often will need to travel far distances to access clinical trials and leave your doctor to participate,” Benjamine Liu, co-founder and chief executive of TrialSpark, said in a statement. “Our model changes this, enabling patients to participate in clinical trials at their local doctor’s office.”

By sifting through large data sets of deidentified health records, the company is able to find high-potential “hot spots” where likely trial participants can be found. Those patients/sites are usually overlooked due to their distance from large institutions and specialist centers.