On May 15, 2023, Walgreens confirmed its commitment to conducting clinical trials despite CVS Health’s decision to scale back trials by the end of next year. Both companies had entered the business of conducting clinical trials in the past two years, with the US Food and Drug Administration seeking ways to improve drug research and patient health outcomes by enrolling more Americans.
In a statement, CVS said that it planned to phase out its clinical trial services business and fully terminate it by December 31, 2024. Walgreens, however, said that its clinical trial business would continue to provide high-quality service to its patients, partners, and customers. Just last month, Walgreens had entered into a partnership with biotech firm Protena to “accelerate patient identification and adoption” of an experimental treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.
Ramita Tandon, Walgreens’ principal clinical trial director, said when the partnership was announced that “the development and evaluation of effective treatments [for Alzheimer’s disease] requires collaboration from all parties.” “Through Walgreens’ trusted community pharmacy presence and daily interactions with millions of patients across the United States, we believe we can make a meaningful impact in supporting Protena’s clinical trial recruitment efforts,” she said.
The author of the article, Bruce Japsen, is a healthcare journalist with over 30 years of experience covering health care reform and the economy. He has contributed to many media outlets, including The New York Times, Forbes, and the Chicago Tribune. Japsen is passionate about health literacy and explaining the complexities of healthcare to help individuals save money and lives.