Worldwide Clinical Trials is partnering with Science 37, which specializes in supporting virtual trials, in an effort to step up the CRO’s offerings in the growing arena of decentralized clinical trials.
Under the agreement, Worldwide will become part of Science 37’s CRO certified network that gives members access, training and commercial support in scaling up remote clinical trial operations. Financial terms of the agreement weren’t disclosed.
First seen as a response to lockdowns and social distancing efforts triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, decentralized clinical trials are now seen as the future of the industry not only for patient convenience but for cost-effectiveness.
“Bringing clinical trials closer to patients and making it easier for them to participate with more patient-centric approaches are crucial imperatives for Worldwide Clinical Trials,” Jeff Zucker, a senior vice president with Worldwide, said in a statement. Zucker added that adding Science 37’s operating systems will provide the North Carolina-based CRO more options to support patients at any location, which is becoming more important in the areas of oncology and neurology as well as metabolic and rare diseases.
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Science 37 credits its operating system with providing significantly faster enrollment, retention of patients at higher rates and higher enrollment rates among more diverse patient populations.
The CRO tech company, which is based in Los Angeles, went public last May using a special purpose acquisition company.