Pharma Pulse 6/4/25: Five Critical Challenges in Investigator Site Selection and How Clinical Data Science Can Solve Them; Wegovy Use Up 50% Among US Teens
Five Critical Challenges in Investigator Site Selection and How Clinical Data Science Can Solve Them
In a Pharmaceutical Executive feature, Gen Li, founder, CEO, Phesi, outlines five key challenges hindering investigator site selection in clinical trials—including unreliable performance predictions and lack of real-world data—and explains how clinical data science and AI-driven tools can optimize site feasibility, reduce costs, and accelerate drug development.
Exclusive-Wegovy use up 50% among US teens
Wegovy prescriptions among US teens rose 50% last year as more families and physicians embraced the obesity treatment, yet uptake remains low due to safety concerns, limited insurance coverage, and uncertainty about long-term use during adolescence.
Rising API Tariffs Are Forcing Pharma to Shift R&D Resources
In an interview with Applied Clinical Trials, Ron Lanton, partner, Lanton Law, warned that rising tariffs on APIs are likely to drive up clinical trial costs, prompting pharmaceutical companies to shift R&D resources and potentially reducing the number of government-sponsored studies, while also anticipating delays in FDA inspections that could further disrupt trial timelines and site readiness.
Canid has raised $10 million in Series A funding to expand its AI-powered platform that automates vaccine logistics, billing, and compliance for pediatricians, helping independent practices reduce administrative burden, eliminate financial risk, and improve vaccination rates across the United States.
Amid staff cuts, FDA looks to AI to 'optimize' reviews
The FDA has fast-tracked the rollout of its new generative AI tool, Elsa, designed to accelerate regulatory reviews and ease workload amid major staff reductions — but internal concerns remain over its rushed deployment and lack of safeguards.
