A Tech-Startup and a GI Giant Just Redefined Clinical Research
What happens when the largest GI practice in the country partners with a digital-native startup?
You get more than scale. You get a radical redesign of how clinical research works, where trials no longer live on the sidelines of care, but at its very center.
On The Scope Forward Show, Dr. Jonathan Ng (Founder & CEO, Iterative Health) and Dr. Casey Chapman (CMO, GI Alliance) announced a first-of-its-kind alliance:
→ 80 research sites across the globe
→ A shared platform for trial execution at the point of care
→ And a vision to restore agency to physicians while unlocking equitable access for patients
“It’s not about trial volume. It’s about raising the standard of care through research.”
– Dr. Jonathan Ng
“If this was just about ROI, we wouldn’t be here. This is about building the future—with physicians, for patients.”
– Dr. Casey Chapman
This isn’t a financial partnership. It’s a systemic intervention—two years in the making—that breaks through recruitment bottlenecks, removes operational friction, and makes GI a launchpad for drug innovation.
I’m excited about this announcement because it signals a shift not just for the organizations involved but for GI at large.
Read the official announcement here.
Watch the historic episode.
Top 10 Highlights:
- A Historic Alliance: The world’s largest GI research network is here—80 sites and growing.
- Two Years in the Making: What started as “what if” became a deeply aligned mission.
- Research Where Care Happens: Clinical trials integrated into community-based care.
- Choosing a Startup: GI Alliance chose Iterative Health for their patient-first, flexible approach.
- Beyond Tech: Iterative learned that tools alone can’t solve broken systems.
- Focus on IBD & Liver: Targeting the conditions that matter most to real-world GI patients.
- Success = Empowerment: The goal is a generation of research-empowered GIs.
- Advice for Startups: Lead with listening, not just tech.
- Why Scope Forward: A platform aligned with the values of physician empowerment.
- It Was Always About People: Partnership success came from shared priorities, not profit motives.