Icon adopts Mural Health tech to expand patient reach

Ireland-based clinical trials contractor Icon will use a participant management and payment system developed by Mural Health Technologies through a new partnership.

Through the partnership, Icon will use the technology — called Mural Link — to provide payments, tax management, travel, and concierge support for people who take part in trials. The financial terms of the partnership were not disclosed.

Mural’s technology includes a fee-free debit card that the firm claims will help people avoid the financial barriers that hinder participation, thereby increasing the total recruitable patient population available to Icon’s customers.

In a press statement, Gareth Milborrow, Icon’s executive vice president of business operations, said, “Mural Health’s range of payment methods, unique approach to payment structure, and introduction of a fee-free participant environment are important additions to how we deliver care to patients.”

Mural CEO Sam Whitaker said, “This partnership represents a shared vision of removing barriers to trial participation and advancing participation financial neutrality, while eliminating the need for site staff to manage highly manual, error-prone, and time-consuming administrative activities.”

Collaborations

Whitaker co-founded Mural in 2021, a few years after leaving his previous trial technology company, Greenphire, which is merging with Suvoda.

At the time, he said the plan for Mural was to develop a system that makes it easier to take part in drug trials by optimizing all aspects of participation, rather than focusing on just payments.

“Payments are important, but Mural Link is built to do much more than just deliver payment to participants. The platform also helps participants get to their appointment without incurring expense, helps participants communicate with site personnel, and empowers the participant by giving them a voice, to provide feedback, which quantifies satisfaction across the participant's trial journey,” Whitaker said.

In the years since, Mural has formed partnerships designed to further this idea.

In January 2023, for example, the firm teamed with trial management software developer Ledger Run in a deal focused on the latter’s ClinRun, an automated compliance system. A few months later, it teamed up with digital patient compliance tech firm Proofpilot.

Mural has similar deals with China-based trial tech firm Clinflash and patient management organization ClinOne.

The announcement that Icon will use the technology also comes a few months after Mural partnered with ride-sharing company Lyft.

DepostiPhotos/AndreyPopov