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.
News|Podcasts|March 31, 2026
ACT Brief: Clinical Technology Implementation Priorities, Digital Supply Chain Integration, and AI Drug Discovery Scale
Author(s)Andy Studna, Senior Editor
In today's ACT Brief, we examine the three converging technology priorities reshaping trial execution in 2026, why sponsors must integrate digital and physical supply chains operationally, and Eli Lilly's multi-billion dollar AI drug discovery collaboration with Insilico.
This is the Applied Clinical Trials Brief—your fast track to the latest insights shaping clinical operations and drug development.
- In a new FAQ
article , we addressed three converging priorities in clinical trial technology: data validation as a core organizational competency, AI adoption moving from pilot to production, and robust site-based systems for protocol-driven data capture. Organizations treating these as interconnected rather than isolated initiatives are positioning themselves for faster, cleaner, more defensible studies with stronger regulatory readiness. - In part three of her video
interview , Cheryl Kole, vice president of solution strategy and commercialization at Almac Clinical Technologies, discussed why sponsors must integrate digital and physical supply chains as a single operational flow. Building the in-house capabilities and partner relationships needed to manage that complexity effectively requires treating supply chain management as central to trial execution rather than a support function. - Eli Lilly and Insilico Medicine announced a $2.75 billion research and licensing
agreement for a preclinical oral therapeutics portfolio and joint R&D programs. Insilico's Pharma.AI platform has nominated 20 preclinical candidates in 12 to 18 months per program compared to the conventional three to six years, demonstrating how AI-enabled discovery can accelerate early-stage drug development across multiple therapeutic areas.
That's all for today's ACT Brief. Join us tomorrow for more updates shaping clinical operations and drug development. Thanks for listening.
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