ACT Brief: Building a Digital Thread in Life Sciences, CRO Sourcing Decisions and Site Burden, and Lilly’s Oral GLP-1 Phase III Results

This is the Applied Clinical Trials Brief—your fast track to the latest insights shaping clinical operations and drug development.

• A new ACT feature article highlights how fragmented data systems and disconnected teams continue to limit collaboration, traceability, and productivity across life sciences R&D. The piece outlines how multimodal research, disconnected wet and dry lab workflows, and poor scientific traceability create gaps in data lineage that complicate reproducibility, regulatory compliance, and AI-driven insights. It also details how recent advances in cloud computing, data standards, and interoperable platforms are making it possible to establish a digital thread that connects research, development, and manufacturing data across traditionally siloed systems.
• In part three of an ACT video interview series, Kevin Williams of Ledger Run discusses how sponsor sourcing strategies can directly affect site burden and study execution. Williams explains that sites often face operational switching challenges when working across multiple sponsors and CROs, including differences in systems, contracting processes, and payment workflows. He notes that as sponsors evaluate whether to bring functions in house or pursue functional sourcing models, considerations around system design, process consistency, and readiness to operate internally play a key role in determining site experience.
• Eli Lilly has announced topline results from its Phase III Attain-Maintain trial evaluating the oral GLP-1 receptor agonist orforglipron for long-term weight maintenance. The 52-week, randomized, placebo-controlled study showed that participants who switched from injectable therapies such as Wegovy or Zepbound to once-daily orforglipron maintained previously achieved weight loss and met the trial’s primary and key secondary endpoints. Orforglipron demonstrated a safety and tolerability profile consistent with earlier studies, with mostly mild-to-moderate gastrointestinal adverse events reported.

That’s all for today’s ACT Brief. Join us tomorrow for more updates shaping clinical operations and drug development. Thanks for listening.