WELL Health Technologies Corp. and HEALWELL AI Inc. are collaborating to launch and manage clinical trial sites at WELL clinic locations throughout Canada. This initiative combines WELL's healthcare infrastructure with HEALWELL AI's technology to broaden patient access to clinical trials.
HEALWELL AI now provides a vertically integrated service in clinical research, managing patient recruitment, trial execution, and data analysis. By incorporating WELL Health Diagnostic Centres’ (WHDC) patient roster, which includes cardiology, radiology, sleep medicine, and endocrinology, the partnership gains access to patient data to advance research, especially in cardiovascular disease and related co-morbidities.
AI-Driven Efficiency in Clinical Trials
HEALWELL uses AI and data science to streamline the trial process, from recruitment to data analysis. AI-driven tools help identify eligible participants, predict outcomes, and shorten trial duration by automating data collection and analysis, increasing efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Hosting trials at WELL’s clinics enhances accessibility to experimental treatments for patients. The partnership combines HEALWELL’s contact research organization (CRO) capabilities with WELL’s clinical infrastructure, strengthening its position in AI-driven clinical trials and opening new revenue opportunities.
"Launching and managing clinical trial sites at WELL’s clinic locations across Canada is a powerful and transformational strategic initiative. This initiative will allow WELL and HEALWELL AI to capitalize on their combined strengths in healthcare infrastructure and AI technology, potentially transforming the landscape for clinical research," said Dr. Michael Frankel, chief medical officer of WELL.
Addressing Unmet Medical Needs
WELL has over 180 primary and specialty clinics across Canada, facilitating recruitment across various clinical programs, including common therapeutic areas and specialized conditions. HEALWELL actively recruits niche patient populations, such as those with rare diseases, specific genetic profiles, and unique demographic backgrounds, enhancing trial feasibility and inclusivity.
Sponsors can leverage these groups to explore treatments for unmet medical needs, potentially leading to higher patient participation and more representative data that strengthens the value and relevance of research findings.
"Patient identification and recruitment for clinical trials has become an increasingly complex challenge in the global healthcare and life science sectors," said Dr. Alexander Dobranowski, CEO of HEALWELL. "Success hinges not only on identifying patients but also on effectively recruiting them and managing their participation – steps that lead to improved outcomes for patients, practitioners and the healthcare system as a whole."
HEALWELL is utilizing its established late-stage CRO, Canadian Phase Onward, to accelerate the recruitment process. The company aims for this service to benefit doctors, healthcare practitioners, and patients while reducing the cost of clinical trials and shortening their timelines.
