Blog posts
Six steps to help you choose the right clinical trial partner
“This year, we’ve decided to stick to paper. We know what we’re getting and we’ve always done it this way.”
That was the unwavering response from a clinical operations lead at a pioneering biotech when asked why they still relied on paper diaries for patient-reported outcomes.
Despite the growing complexity of global trials, the promise of real-time data, and the surge of digital capabilities available today, some organizations have held tight to a method of clinical trial conduct that’s increasingly as outclassed as it is outdated.
It’s well known that individuals and organizations believe that change can be daunting, stressful, and difficult, especially when the old way is familiar and entrenched. However, much like anything else, having a partner who can help guide you through the process is massively important. But, how do you find the right partner for your trials?
Before locking in a vendor, organizations must engage in a deliberate process to assess their needs, align stakeholders, and set the foundation for long-term success. This blog explores the critical steps sponsors should take before selecting a digital partner, using insights and frameworks drawn from Medable’s therapeutic area standards and industry best practices.
From bottlenecks to breakthroughs: How AI is transforming translation timelines
According to ClinicalTrials.gov, there are 3,046 multi-country trials being conducted this year. While many trials remain localized within a single country, there has been a definitive movement towards conducting trials in multiple countries, especially for larger, later-stage trials. This is driven by the positives that multi-country trials offer, like faster patient recruitment, lower costs in some regions, and the need for diverse patient populations.. However, behind the scenes, a critical bottleneck has been slowing many trials down. This bottleneck is the translation process that’s required to make trials work across multiple languages, locales, and regulatory bodies/organizations.
The Top 5 myths about eCOA in 2025
With MarketsandMarkets projecting the global electronic Clinical Outcome Assessments (eCOA) solutions market to grow at compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.1% each year until 2030, it’s clear the eCOA has made its impact within the clinical research landscape.
Yet despite growing adoption, electronic Clinical Outcome Assessments (eCOA) are still surrounded by misconceptions that hinder their full potential. From concerns about patient usability to assumptions about cost and implementation timelines, these myths can create hesitation among sponsors and research teams alike.
Thus, we’re here to cut through the noise and set the record straight with a summary of a recent webinar featuring speakers from Transcelerate and Medable.
Recapping DIA 2025
The 2025 Drug Information Association (DIA) Global Annual Meeting, held in Washington D.C., is beginning to wind down. As always, the conference has left a clear vision for the future of clinical trials. one defined by groundbreaking innovation, unprecedented global collaboration, and a profound commitment to patient well-being. This year's conference underscored key themes that are shaping the landscape of medical product development, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Real-World Data (RWD) taking center stage.
Drive scale with total control: Medable's new CRO partner program
What does it mean to do the heavy lifting?
In clinical research, it means assisting with research and development of new drugs alongside pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, helping them complete the routine work that turns the gears to make new medicines.
Within pharma, contract research organizations (CROs) are indispensable partners in the advancement of clinical research who manage the complexities of clinical trials from protocol design to regulatory closeout, handling tasks like trial design, patient recruitment, data management, and regulatory submissions.
As a result, CROs have become indispensable partners in the advancement of clinical research who significantly contribute to our industry’s development of groundbreaking treatments, and human health.
However, the weights and the lifting methods have been changing. As Boston Consulting Group noted in their 2024 Nature article, clinical trials are becoming more complex. As a result, CROs face increasing pressure to deliver more with less.
Recognizing their importance in our mission and vision, Medable is excited to announce the launch of our comprehensive CRO partner program, designed to be a game-changing engine for growth and control in the clinical research industry.
What happened at ASCO 2025?
2025’s American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting in Chicago once again delivered a wealth of clinical data, providing exciting insights into the groundbreaking future of cancer treatment. As the show closed out, we checked in with our associates to see what they thought were the biggest news and trends of the show.
No more back and forth: Building eCOAs right the first time
Recently, Medable worked with a leading market research consultant to identify the pains and processes that sponsors and CROs encounter when building trials. Of the many that were presented, one issue kept reappearing, the back and forth processes for building COAs.
This feedback was instrumental in the development of Medable Studio, which was built to simplify the study build process, take eCOA off the critical path, and give sponsors and CROs total control over the trial build process.
Why ePROs in oncology are perfect for capturing the patient’s voice
Here are two statistics that may surprise you.
Number one, according to the WIRB-Copernicus Group, the number of oncology trials has skyrocketed over the last decade, almost doubling the number of all other therapeutic areas combined.
Number two, between 2010 and 2020, only 9 out of 108 FDA-approved oncology drugs, a mere 8.3%, included electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePROs) in their labeling.
Clearly, ePRO adoption is lagging in oncology trials. This comes despite recent guidance from the FDA (in 2021 and 2024) explaining how sponsors can use these technologies to ease trials for themselves and their patients.
Vibe coding is real: The rise of the developer as agent manager
By Tim Smith, Co-Founder & CTO,Medable
In today’s rapidly evolving tech landscape, vibe coding is opening up exciting opportunities by blending human expertise with smart agents to give every engineer incredible leverage and productivity. This new approach invites us to embrace innovative tools that drive greater scale and impact. But it’s not enough to just pick up new practices—success demands a significant mental shift and a change in approach. Developers must move beyond their traditional roles as individual contributors and evolve into “agent managers.” This means blending deep technical expertise with the strategic oversight of a manager, actively coaching intelligent agents so that each interaction builds on the last and contributes to a cohesive, scalable solution.
Building a “gold standard” clinical trial experience in Japan
When talking to customers conducting their first multi-country trial, we sometimes liken clinical trials to spider webs. Just as a garden spider’s web differs from a black widow’s, clinical trials follow unique patterns in every region. Each country comes with its own set of rules, ethical standards, approval processes, and data privacy laws. Cultural factors also play a crucial role in how patients are recruited and understand Clinical trials, requiring sensitive communication and a deep respect for participants’ needs.
In Japan, these regulatory and cultural intricacies form a complex ‘web,’ with anchor points and structural requirements that, when understood and implemented correctly, create a framework for success. However, conducting Clinical trials in Japan has historically posed challenges for Sponsors and Contract Research Organizations (CROs). When we first entered the region, one Sponsor consistently cited issues with eCOA solutions and site and patient support, not fully adapting to Japan’s unique requirements. This feedback, combined with our own experiences on the ground, revealed a clear need for improvement.
Today, we can proudly say that the solutions we put in place have transformed Japan’s Clinical trial landscape, and what was once a challenge has now become the “gold standard” for supporting Clinical trials in the region.
Tips for better eCOA experiences from our Patient Caregiver Network
Electronic Clinical Outcome Assessments (eCOA) have revolutionized data collection in clinical trials, offering convenience and real-time insights that traditional methods cannot match.
However, the effectiveness of these digital tools hinges on the quality of the daily experience they offer participants. Read below to see direct feedback from patients and caregivers across multiple conditions in our Patient Champion Network (PCN), as we identify ten critical factors that can improve the eCOA experience.
DTRA 2024: GSK and Medable discuss change management and DCTs
On Friday, November 15, 2024, the Decentralized Trials & Research Alliance (DTRA) held a fireside chat between Brandon Maggio, GSK’s Global Head of Digital Operations & Process Optimization, and Alison Holland, Medable’s Chief Customer Officer. They were gathered to discuss the evolving landscape of decentralized and digital clinical trials and how best to drive change management in an era of continual changes within trial research. The following blog is a summary of their discussion.
SCOPE 2025: Trends, insights, and news
This year’s Scope Summit once again brought thousands in the clinical research space together, offering a glimpse into the evolving operational and technological landscapes shaping the future of trials.