Clinical Trials: Why the Industry Resists Innovation

The clinical trial industry appears to be deliberately avoiding innovation, with Clinical Research Organizations (CROs) thriving on bottlenecks that slow down drug development. Despite the potential of agentic AI to streamline trials and reduce costs, the current system remains heavily bureaucratic. Smaller sponsors are growing increasingly frustrated, suggesting that traditional gatekeepers may be clinging to outdated processes for profit rather than progress. The reliance on legacy methods not only hinders efficiency but also delays life-saving treatments from reaching patients.