EXPANDING CLINICAL TRIALS

Through its Health2047 fund that focuses on early-stage startups, the Silicon Valley-based innovation firm recently spun out SiteBridge Research, an integrated research organization (IRO) headquartered in Chapel Hill. The startup is “democratizing” clinical trials by reducing barriers for sites and participants. This includes enabling trials to occur at “point-of-care versus traditional large academic institutions.”

“During one of our conversations with Duke Clinical Research Institute, we were asked to take a look at their portfolio,” said Lawrence K. Cohen, CEO of Health2047, who declined to disclose the terms of the deal. “It jumped out to us as an interesting opportunity to help shape and commercialize.”

Cohen said SiteBridge is building a “national network of small and community practices” to deliver research in communities that are “hardest to reach.”

“The pharmaceutical industry has faced challenges in navigating the fragmented small and community practice space,” he said. “Small and community practice physicians need a path to engage in trials. This is why Health2047 launched SiteBridge Research.”