What’s Next for Clinical Technology?

Welcome to our first issue of 2026! For this February edition of Applied Clinical Trials, we dive into all things clinical technology. From an overhead view, it seems that the industry is at a crossroads with technology; specifically artificial intelligence (AI). There is an acceptance that technology is here and will play a big role in clinical operations moving forward, but what is the best way to utilize it?

In a December video interview with ACT, Gaurav Agrawal, senior partner at McKinsey & Company, said: “I think there are a lot of areas where we realize that AI can add a lot of power in terms of insights and getting work done, but in the near future is not autonomous enough to just run the whole thing. So the question is, where does that collaboration most make sense?”

As technology continues to evolve and become a more normal part of clinical research, it will be fascinating to see how the industry finds that perfect balance with human oversight.

Our cover story for February highlights recent research conducted by the Tufts CSDD and Evinova on site experience with digital and decentralized trial tools. Among other notable findings, the study found that more than 80% of sites have experience using digital and remote trial solutions, suggesting that these entities may be ahead of where industry once thought in terms of technology integrations.

Following is a piece on intersecting technology with operations. In this case, it’s exploring the scaling of eSource-enabled trials by integrating unstructured clinical data through the use of AI and shared models. The backdrop for the findings in the article is the reality that, according to the authors’ research, more than 80% of healthcare data remains unstructured, limiting the full value of current eSource implementations. The authors present insight on how to address this and move eSource-enabled trials forward.

Our next February feature dives into the ownership of interactive response technology (IRT) data in clinical trials. Author Mohammed Najmul Hasan, clinical trial supply manager at Novartis, says that unclear data boundaries between investigator and sponsor data are creating extra risk. Hasan outlines how teams can best integrate IRT systems while avoiding these risks.

Rounding out this issue’s features is a piece on the potential for conducting clinical trials in sub-Saharan Africa. African site networks report more than 80% consent and 85% to 96% retention, building the case for setting up more research in the area. Additionally, the continent’s genetic diversity creates and translates to more unique opportunities for oncology and precision medicine.

As always, thank you for reading.

Mike Hennessy Jr is chairman and CEO of MJH Life Sciences®