Istios Health Partners with CARE-ID to Bridge Clinical Trial Access Gap in Infectious Disease Research
Key Insights
Istios Health (search) announces strategic partnership with CARE-ID (search) to embed clinical research directly into community-based care delivery, addressing the critical gap where over 85% of patients receive care in community settings but fewer than 5% participate in clinical trials.
The collaboration combines Istios Health (search)'s national multi-specialty physician network and Navigator real-world evidence platform with CARE-ID (search)'s infectious disease clinical research expertise to accelerate trial access for underserved patient populations.
Dr. David Wheeler of CARE-ID (search) will join Istios Health (search) as National Research and Science Advisor, enhancing the company's infectious disease, immunology & inflammation, and cardiorenal metabolic specialist network.
Istios Health (search), a healthcare technology and services company, has announced a strategic partnership with The Clinical Alliance for Research and Education - Infectious Diseases (CARE-ID (search)) to address a critical structural mismatch in clinical trial participation. The collaboration aims to embed clinical research directly into community-based care delivery, targeting the significant gap where more than 85% of patients receive care in community settings while fewer than 5% participate in clinical trials.
Addressing Clinical Trial Access Barriers
The partnership is designed to tackle the primary barrier limiting clinical trial enrollment: lack of access at the point of care. This structural mismatch not only limits enrollment and delays drug development but also restricts patient access to innovative therapies. By combining Istios Health (search)'s national, multi-specialty physician network and technology-enabled infrastructure with CARE-ID (search)'s deep infectious disease clinical research expertise, the collaboration seeks to accelerate trial access to previously underserved patient populations.
"CARE-ID (search) has built a trusted infectious disease research organization with a clear commitment to participant safety, data quality, and scientific integrity," said Nikos Nikolopoulos, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Istios Health (search). "CARE-ID will serve as an infectious disease center of excellence within our national infectious disease, immunology & inflammation, and cardiorenal metabolic specialist network — an integrated platform designed around the shift in drug development from indication-specific programs to shared pathways and mechanisms that span multiple specialties and diseases."
Technology-Enabled Research Infrastructure
The partnership leverages Istios Health (search)'s real-world evidence platform called "Navigator" to create an integrated infrastructure for clinical research. This technology-enabled approach aims to preserve physician autonomy while expanding patient access to innovative therapies and providing life sciences sponsors with the multi-specialty infrastructure that modern drug development demands.
Dr. David Wheeler of CARE-ID (search) expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration's potential impact: "Istios Health (search)'s national reach, technology platform, and dedication to advancing infectious disease research create a new opportunity for CARE-ID, our investigators, and the communities we serve. By combining CARE-ID's clinical research experience with Istios Health's infrastructure and national network, I am confident we will be well positioned for the future of clinical research and better able to help accelerate access to cutting-edge drugs and therapies."
Leadership Integration and Network Expansion
As part of the strategic partnership, Dr. Wheeler will join Istios Health (search) as a National Research and Science Advisor. In this role, he will collaborate across the organization's network of physician partner practices and principal investigators while contributing to the continued development of the Istios RWE-powered Navigator Platform.
Dr. Wheeler brings extensive expertise to the partnership, having practiced infectious diseases in Northern Virginia for nearly three decades and serving as a leader in HIV (search) treatment in the Washington metropolitan area. He is a Professor of Medical Education at the University of Virginia Inova Campus, a Fellow of the American College of Physicians (FACP), and a Fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (FIDSA).
Transforming Drug Development Approach
The collaboration reflects a broader shift in drug development from indication-specific programs to shared pathways and mechanisms that span multiple specialties and diseases. Istios Health (search)'s national specialty network advances clinical care delivery and clinical research across infectious disease, immunology & inflammation, and cardiorenal metabolic medicine by connecting fragmented independent practices into a technology-enabled, mechanism-aligned network.
CARE-ID (search)'s role in the partnership centers on conducting clinical research trials in infectious diseases with a focus on participant safety and confidentiality, quality of data, and integrity of results. The organization partners with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to develop experimental therapies for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases while providing opportunities for volunteers to participate in clinical trials.