START selects Advarra for IRB and IBC services

The Texas-headquartered START Center for Cancer Research has selected Advarra as its preferred provider of Independent Review Board (IRB) and Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) services.

The partnership will also see START use Advarra’s electronic regulatory management system — called eReg —across its clinical trial site network. Financial terms were not disclosed.

According to START CEO Nick Slack, “We are building a truly interconnected ecosystem, leveraging the best technology and regulatory expertise in the industry, and adopting Advarra’s standardized workflows and integrated platforms will significantly enhance our operational efficiency, compliance, and quality.”

Advarra CEO Gadi Saarony cited his firm’s oncology research experience and suite of regulatory compliance solutions as key to the new accord.

“Our role is to help remove barriers to research — streamlining the path from discovery to care. We’re proud to partner with START as it expands its reach and impact around the world,” he said.

At present, START operates 10 clinical research sites at locations in the US, Spain, and Ireland. However, in May it partnered with Nashville, Tennessee-based clinical practice network OneOncology to add sites in New York, Dallas, New Jersey, and Los Angeles.

More recently, START set up an online “hope hub,” which is a searchable database intended to help patients, advocacy groups, and physicians find oncology drug trials. The idea is to provide information about early-phase trials taking place at one of START’s network of sites.

Technology deals

The new agreement is not START’s first time working with Advarra’s technology. The firm has used the latter’s OnCore Clinical Trial Management System to manage drug research conducted at its sites since 2024.

START joins a growing list of trial sites to be using Advarra’s review services. In April, Advarra claimed its IRB business, which provides a range of approval, exemption, and monitoring services, was supporting over 60% of ongoing clinical studies in North America.

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