Andy Studna, Senior Editor
Articles by Andy Studna, Senior Editor

A new white paper and public engagement process outline the FDA’s commitment to building fit-for-purpose evidentiary standards, stronger patient voice integration, and greater regulatory predictability across rare disease drug development and review.

In today's ACT Brief, we examine how representation gaps in trials are shaped by structural design decisions, how new partnerships automate data transfer from site systems to sponsor platforms, and how Roche is licensing a novel obesity target from a biotech pioneer.

The partnership gives RealTime's network of more than 3,000 research sites access to the Archer platform for direct, automated data transfer from eSource to any sponsor electronic data capture system or data destination.

In this video interview, Saamir Pasha and Carole Berini, PhD, of Ontada, identify three persistent obstacles to consistent real-world evidence generation in oncology—inconsistent data capture, structural data limitations that modeling alone can't fix, and the need for earned generalizability through deliberate multi-site validation.

In this video interview, Saamir Pasha and Carole Berini, PhD, of Ontada, describe what operationalizing regulatory-grade quality frameworks requires—and why fit-for-purpose evidence generation is a transparency and documentation discipline, not just a data cleanliness exercise.

In this video interview, Carole Berini, PhD, of Ontada, explains how validated proxies for variables like ECOG performance status can recover not just sample size but the representativeness of hard-to-reach patient populations in real-world oncology studies.

In today's ACT Brief, we examine proportionate analysis frequency in RBQM, how to build trust into real-world evidence foundations for cancer trials, and how rare disease developers monetize regulatory success.

In this video interview, Saamir Pasha and Carole Berini, PhD, of Ontada, explain how building trust into the data foundation—through source lineage, standardization, and reconciliation—is what makes reliable real-world evidence generation in oncology possible.

In today's ACT Brief, we examine how AI surfaces design flaws before enrollment, why site training readiness depends on learning science, and the priorities defining next-generation weight-loss therapies.

In this Q&A, Claire Riches, VP of clinical solutions at Citeline, discusses how AI is transforming endpoint selection and protocol pressure-testing, what data inputs matter most for realistic enrollment planning, and why the tools are more accessible than most sponsors assume.

In today's ACT Brief, we examine the FDA's multi-domain transparency priorities, why radiopharmaceutical trials need redesigned infrastructure, and how AI can make enrollment more predictable.

A new FDA Voices post from the agency's acting chief of staff details completed milestones and upcoming priorities across complete response letter disclosure, application lifecycle transparency, new approach methodologies, labeling, and inspectional records.

In today's ACT Brief, we examine FDA input sought on early-phase ibogaine protocols, why mixed outsourcing models spread faster than oversight infrastructure, and a major partnership for a rare kidney disease treatment.

Mixed FSP and FSO models are gaining ground as sponsors seek agility and resource flexibility, but the oversight infrastructure, audit trails, and accountability structures needed to run them well and survive regulatory inspection are consistently lagging behind the model itself.

A new request for information asks for comments on dose selection, safety monitoring, eligibility criteria, and oversight approaches to support the responsible development of ibogaine drug products.

In today's ACT Brief, we examine practical guidance for clinical operations teams beginning AI adoption, how hierarchical endpoints better reflect treatment benefit, and why early-stage program failures signal smarter pipeline management.

In this video interview, Claire Riches, VP of clinical solutions at Citeline, offers practical guidance for clinical operations teams beginning their AI journey—making the case that the tools are more accessible than many assume and that waiting to start is a competitive risk in itself.

In today's ACT Brief, we examine how AI enables sponsors to pressure-test protocols before enrollment, HHS's multi-initiative effort to accelerate trial design and execution, and FDA approval expanding heart disease therapy to adolescents.

The new effort combines adaptive platform trial design, AI-enabled site activation, nationwide data infrastructure, and patient data contribution tools to reduce timelines, costs, and patient burden across clinical development.

In this video interview, Claire Riches, VP of clinical solutions at Citeline, explains how AI is shifting trial risk management from reactive to proactive—enabling sponsors to pressure-test protocols and anticipate pivots before a single patient is enrolled.

In today's ACT Brief, we examine AI's role as trial design advisor with human leadership, how to govern autonomous agents in regulated operations, and real-world outcomes from switching to oral weight-loss therapy.

In this video interview, Claire Riches, VP of clinical solutions at Citeline, makes the case for AI as a sophisticated strategic advisor in trial design while arguing that humans must remain in the lead—especially when factors the model can't fully account for are at stake.

In today's ACT Brief, we examine how data drives honest enrollment assumptions, why RWE infrastructure lags ambition, and the disconnect between FDA rulemaking and enforcement on compounded therapies.

RWE is finding a role earlier in drug development than ever before, but the data quality, integration, and organizational alignment required to make it regulatory-grade are still catching up to the ambition.

In this video interview, Claire Riches, VP of clinical solutions at Citeline, explains why combining analog trial performance data with real-world patient data and site-level recruitment history gives sponsors a far more honest picture of whether their enrollment assumptions are actually achievable.

In today's ACT Brief, we examine what AI simulations surface in trial design, how RBQM delivers measurable financial returns, and three new FDA-approved treatments across hair loss, movement disorder, and bone disease.

In this Q&A, Sylviane de Viron of CluePoints and Abigail Dirks, MS, of Tufts CSDD discuss the findings of a collaborative study quantifying the financial value of RBQM, why time savings emerged as the largest driver, and what sponsors struggling to justify adoption now have that they didn't before.

In this video interview, Claire Riches, VP of clinical solutions at Citeline, walks through the categories of hidden protocol risk that AI-driven simulations can identify—from overly restrictive eligibility criteria to patient dropout patterns and structural trial assumptions.

In today's ACT Brief, we examine how AI is surfacing endpoint options beyond traditional design thinking, why sponsor oversight of outsourced work often fails on inspection despite being robust in practice, and a new combination drug for advanced kidney cancer.

In this video interview, Claire Riches, VP of clinical solutions at Citeline, explains how AI is expanding endpoint selection beyond the bounded experience of a single sponsor team—and surfacing options that traditional design thinking might never have considered.