By Clinical Research Staff 

August 26, 2025 | The International Progressive MS Alliance launched its MS Clinical and Imaging Data Resource (CIDR); N-Power Medicine announced the launch of the industry’s first Prospective External Control Arm (ProECA) platform; and more. 

Parexel has appointed Jim Anthony to the expanded role of Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) and President, Parexel Biotech. He has served as the global leader for Parexel Biotech since its inception in 2019. Mr. Anthony will oversee both biotech and pharmaceutical customer strategy and relationships globally, leveraging the company’s comprehensive suite of solutions and industry-leading therapeutic expertise across Phase I-IV clinical development to accelerate and advance their life-changing therapies to market. Press release.

N-Power Medicine announced the launch of the industry’s first Prospective External Control Arm (ProECA) platform for pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners. Designed to reduce reliance on traditional randomized clinical trials, this model aims to cut patient enrollment requirements by up to 50%, shorten trial timelines by 6-12 months, and save tens to hundreds of millions of dollars per development program, while expanding opportunities for more patients to participate in cancer research. Press release.

The International Progressive MS Alliance launched its MS Clinical and Imaging Data Resource (CIDR), which provides the academic and research community access to anonymized and harmonized MRI and clinical data from thousands of people living with MS who participated in one of many clinical trials. The Alliance, in conjunction with McGill University in Montréal, Canada, and four industry partners—Biogen, Novartis, Roche, and Sanofi—is making this resource available exclusively to the MS research community to help accelerate the understanding of MS progression and speed up clinical trials aiming to find solutions for progressive MS. Press release.

The University of California San Diego's Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute (ACTRI) has received a seven-year, $80 million Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), part of the National Institutes of Health. The award supports ACTRI’s vision to create a more responsive clinical research ecosystem that impacts communities across Southern California, accelerates scientific discovery, increases access to ground-breaking therapies and fosters the next generation of health innovators. Press release.

Answer ALS, in collaboration with ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI) and Augie's Quest,  announced plans to launch Champion Insights, a research initiative designed to uncover critical genetic and metabolic mechanisms that may explain the significantly higher incidence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) among endurance athletes, military service members, and potentially other high-performing populations. The program will collect blood samples and clinical data from up to 500 participants, eliminating logistical and geographic barriers and greatly expanding who can take part in ALS research. Press release.

The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) launched the Global Radiopharmaceutical Trial Finder, an AI-powered platform designed to help researchers, clinicians, and patients instantly discover radiopharmaceutical clinical trials that meet their specific needs. This initiative represents a concrete step toward SNMMI s goal of ensuring patient access to life-changing nuclear medicine procedures. The platform utilizes real-time global trials data refreshed every 24 hours from ClinicalTrials.gov and three additional international registries. No personal information is stored or sold. Press release.