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.
News|Podcasts|September 22, 2026
ACT Brief: Patient-Site Interaction and Technology, AI Pilot Success Requires Discipline, and CagriSema Beats Lilly Drug
Author(s)Andy Studna, Senior Editor
In today's ACT Brief, we examine technology's real role in patient-site collaboration, why AI pilot failures stem from organization not innovation, and Novo's weight-loss drug results in competitive comparison.
This is the Applied Clinical Trials Brief—your fast track to the latest insights shaping clinical operations and drug development.
- In
part two of her DPHARM interview , Andrea Valente, CEO of uMotif, explains why the real technology challenge isn't usability alone. Making it easier for patients and sites to interact effectively with each other requires designing systems around human relationships, not assuming interfaces alone will solve connection gaps. - In a
new feature article , Ken Getz and colleagues from Tufts CSDD and Evinova examined why most AI pilots fail, finding that poor outcomes trace to organizational factors, not technology: lack of strategic prioritization, inadequate data infrastructure, and missing governance. Organizations that succeed start with strength-based pilot selection in high-performing areas, establish clear governance upfront, and frame pilots within a comprehensive strategy rather than as isolated experiments. Novo Nordisk reported that CagriSema delivered 12.4% average weight loss in a late-stage trial, outperforming Eli Lilly's drug at comparable doses. A one-unit dose of Novo's combination therapy beat a five-unit dose of the competing treatment, while also showing non-inferior blood sugar reduction, representing a win for Novo ahead of its obesity franchise patent expiration after 2030.
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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