Mytrus aligns leadership for at-home clinical trials biz

Mytrus has changed CEOs as the provider of at-home clinical trials technology advances to a new stage. The San Francisco-based company has named co-founder Anthony Costello, previously its chief of operations, as CEO. Former CEO Dr. Steve Cummings has become chief scientific officer. Costello, who helped form Mytrus in 2009, also co-founded clinical trials software company Nextrials and managed cancer clinical data at the biotech giant Genentech.

Mytrus has been one of the pioneering forces in enabling patients to take part in clinical trials in their homes, which holds the promise to cut the costs of clinical studies. The company provided technology for engaging patients online about Pfizer's virtual clinical trial involving the prescription overactive bladder drug Detrol, but the study was cut short because of slow patient recruitment. Still, Pfizer ($PFE) is taking modules from the study and applying them in other clinical trials.

"Mytrus is experiencing significant growth through the addition of new sponsors, partners and a greater number of ongoing clinical studies," Cummings, who is also chairman of Mytrus, said in a statement. "Going forward, I will be concentrating on the more scientific aspects of our business and ensuring that Mytrus achieves its mission: to enable people to safely participate in clinical trials from the convenience of their homes or in the field. Anthony will be responsible for the business aspects related to Mytrus as we broaden our customer base and product line for conducting direct-to-patient data clinical studies."

- here's the release
- see the article in the San Francisco Business Times