eCOA
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.
Accelerating oncology research: Digital strategies for modern clinical trials
Oncology research has been on a 20-year rise and is showing no signs of slowing down anytime in the future. Consider this, between 2000 and 2021, the amount of drugs targeting cancer quadrupled. In 2023, a separate research report found that over 2,000 new oncology clinical trials were launched just that year, and that global spending on cancer medicines “is projected to reach $409 billion by 2028.” Finally, as of May 2025, a search of ClinicalTrials.gov yielded over 39,500 studies indexed under terms including “neoplasm,” “cancer,” and “tumor,” encompassing diverse phases and global locations.
Case study: Medable reduces trial build from weeks to days
A top global clinical research organization (CRO) partnered with Medable to transform its approach to clinical trial building. Recognizing the inefficiencies in traditional build processes that often “take weeks,” the client leveraged Medable’s Studio platform with its latest AI capabilities to dramatically accelerate timelines, enhance transparency, and improve quality.
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.
Case study: Setting a new client standard in study closeout timelines
A top-10 global pharmaceutical company partnered with Medable for their pivotal Phase III diabetes study in the highly competitive market. Recognizing the inefficiencies in traditional study delivery and closeout processes, the company leveraged Medable’s expertise to accelerate timelines, enhance operational efficiency, and achieve a faster time to market for this high-profile therapy.
How to improve eCOA data quality in clinical trials
Electronic clinical outcome assessments (eCOA) have become essential for modern clinical trials, offering numerous advantages over traditional paper-based methods. However, the benefits of eCOA can only be fully realized if the data collected is of the highest quality. Ensuring data quality in eCOA clinical trials requires a multifaceted approach, encompassing platform design, patient engagement strategies, robust data validation procedures, and strict adherence to regulatory guidelines. This blog post explores key strategies for achieving and maintaining data quality throughout the eCOA process.
The role of eCOAs and wearables in modern oncology clinical trials
In the rapidly evolving landscape of oncology clinical trials, the integration of electronic Clinical Outcome Assessments (eCOA) and wearable technologies is revolutionizing how data is collected and patient experiences are monitored. These technologies offer unprecedented opportunities to enhance data quality, improve patient engagement, and enable real-time tracking of treatment efficacy and side effects. This blog post delves into the pivotal roles that eCOA and wearables play in modern oncology clinical trials, highlighting their impact on patient-centric research and the advancement of cancer care.
Top technical considerations with eCOA in clinical trials
Explore the prevalent challenges encountered in eCOA clinical trials, from technical issues and patient adherence to data security and regulatory adherence, and discover strategies for mitigation.
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.
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.
J.P.M. Week 2025
The J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference returned to San Francisco this year, bringing significant deals and strategic shifts that signal where healthcare is headed. While this year’s weather outside was dry and sunny, a substantial change from the prior two years' rainy conferences, the conditions inside differed, with several companies making waves.
Challenge fuels change: Medable impact report
Medable’s 2024 was a year of exceeding key milestones and helping our customers reach new heights.
Take a look at the difference Medable has made with our year-end impact report.