What NEXT Oncology does

NEXT Oncology is a Phase I oncology clinical trial site network founded in 2018 by Dr. Anthony Tolcher and headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. The network operates nine clinical trial sites across the United States, Spain, Japan, and Brazil, and has enrolled more than 3,200 patients since inception, with over 1,000 patients treated annually. In 2025, NEXT Oncology aligned with the Avacare Clinical Research Network within IQVIA (NYSE: IQV), embedding the network into a global CRO/site infrastructure. The organization conducts first-in-human and early-stage oncology trials for pharmaceutical and biotech sponsors, with a portfolio that spans cytotoxic agents, immunotherapies, and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). It has produced 25 abstracts and presentations at ASCO and holds the "Preferred Oncology Phase 1 Site" designation since 2025. Awards include the 2024 and 2025 Health Care Hero recognition from the San Antonio Business Journal.

The company's core offering is contracted Phase I clinical trial execution, supported by a proprietary real-time collaboration platform that links sites, CROs, and sponsors. Strategic partnerships extend its referral and operational reach: Texas Oncology provides access to 400+ referring oncologists; Virginia Cancer Specialists, Quirónsalud Group (Spain), Kansai Medical University (Japan, joint venture), Oncologia D'Or and IDOR (Brazil) extend clinical capacity internationally. CRO partnerships with Crown Bioscience and Worldwide Clinical Trials, plus a licensing agreement with MatTek Life Sciences, broaden the sponsor pipeline. The MediLink Therapeutics partnership (October 2023) added ADC trial capability.

NEXT Oncology operates a B2B revenue model: pharmaceutical and biotech sponsors fund trial contracts, while patients receive access at no cost. Pricing is negotiated through multi-year contracts. The 2025 IQVIA/Avacare integration provides shared infrastructure, data systems, and global sponsor relationships, reducing standalone go-to-market burden while expanding commercial reach across the sponsor ecosystem.

Name

NEXT Oncology

Legal name

NEXT Oncology

Website

https://nextoncology.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NEXT Oncology is a Phase I oncology clinical trial site network operating nine global locations, founded in 2018 by Dr. Anthony Tolcher, that conducts early-stage cancer drug trials for pharmaceutical and biotech sponsors serving advanced cancer patients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Oncology Clinical Research Services

NAICS

Offices of Physicians (62111), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Medical Oncology (HLAKAFAB)

Keywords

• Phase I clinical trials
• Oncology research services
• Early phase oncology
• Cancer clinical research
• Anticancer drug development

Headquarters

HQ city

San Antonio

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Clinical Trial Services for Pharma/Biotech Sponsors: NEXT Oncology conducts Phase I clinical trials on behalf of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, earning fees for site services, patient enrollment, and trial execution. As part of the IQVIA/Avacare network, the company serves as a specialized clinical research site generating revenue through contracted research services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

NEXT Oncology operates a global network of Phase I clinical trial centers that conduct early-phase oncology clinical pharmacology trials on behalf of pharmaceutical and biotechnology sponsors. The company provides advanced cancer patients access to the newest investigational anticancer agents, including first-in-human studies, antibody-drug conjugates, and KRAS-targeted therapies. Services include rapid study site activation, patient enrollment, and real-time sponsor collaboration through a proprietary data exchange platform.

Product overview

NEXT Oncology is a Phase 1 clinical trial center network dedicated to providing advanced cancer patients access to the newest anticancer treatments through Phase I clinical pharmacology trials. The company operates a multi-site network model with locations across North America (San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, Houston, Virginia), Europe (Barcelona, Madrid), and Asia-Pacific (Japan), as well as Brazil. As part of the Avacare Clinical Research Network within IQVIA, NEXT Oncology connects biotechnology and pharmaceutical sponsors with patients to accelerate clinical development of novel oncology therapies. The core offering is Phase I clinical trial conduct, supplemented by a patient portal for trial management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Phase I Clinical Trials
• Clinical Trial Patient Access Program
• San Antonio Phase I Clinical Trial Center
• Austin Phase I Clinical Trial Center

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,200+ patients treated since 2018 founding across 9 global locations
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and strategic.

• Kansai Medical UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 November 2025Joint venture partnership establishing NEXT Oncology Japan at Kansai Medical University Hospital in Osaka, Japan. Dr. Toshio Shimizu serves as Director of NEXT Oncology Japan. The site is designated as 'Preferred Oncology Phase 1 Site' by global pharmaceutical sponsors since 2025. Prof. Shimizu previously completed clinical fellowship in San Antonio under Dr. Tolcher's mentorship.
• Oncologia D'Or and IDORmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 July 2025Strategic partnership for expansion into Brazil, making NEXT Oncology one of the world's largest Phase I Cancer Trial organizations with global presence across North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific.
• Crown BiosciencestrategicTechnology or Integration · 1 May 2025Crown Bioscience, a global contract research organization (CRO) headquartered in the United States and part of JSR Life Sciences and Japan-based JSR Corporation, extended its partnership with NEXT Oncology. Crown Bioscience is one of the world's largest Phase I Oncology Clinical Trial networks.
• MediLink TherapeuticsstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 October 2023Collaboration on Phase 1 First in Human Clinical trial for an antibody drug conjugate (ADC) using MediLink's YL201 ADC platform. Features real-time exchange of patient progress and outcomes, with 'bench to bedside and back' approach using proprietary technology enabling shortened drug development timelines.
• Worldwide Clinical TrialsstrategicChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 18 May 2023Worldwide Clinical Trials, a leading global full-service CRO, expanded its Site Alliance Collaboration to include NEXT Oncology in Spain as part of new partnerships across the United States and Europe.
• IQVIA / Avacare Clinical Research NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2025, NEXT Oncology joined the IQVIA family as part of the Avacare Clinical Research Network, IQVIA's network of specialized clinical research sites. This strategic move unlocks accelerated growth opportunities through enhanced collaboration, expanded capabilities and deeper alignment with IQVIA's patient- and site-centric approach.
• Texas OncologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Texas Oncology, the largest private oncology practice in the United States with more than 400 referring medical oncologists. Texas Oncology is a practice within The US Oncology Network.
• Virginia Cancer SpecialistscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture forming NEXT Virginia with Virginia Cancer Specialists, the largest private cancer practice in Northern Virginia. Both practices are part of The US Oncology Network. VCS Research Institute has the largest clinical trial program in the MidAtlantic area.
• Quirónsalud GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgreement between NEXT Oncology and Quirónsalud Group established research program providing highest possible number of early phase clinical trials in Spain, with locations in Barcelona and Madrid. Offers quality, safety, and specialized care to patients while ensuring scientific rigor.
• The US Oncology NetworkstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerVirginia Cancer Specialists and Texas Oncology, NEXT's US partners, are both practices within The US Oncology Network, the largest network of its kind in the United States providing NEXT Oncology unprecedented opportunities to transform clinical trials.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sarah Cannon Research Institute: The premier US Phase I oncology clinical trial site network, operating across multiple US cities. Highly comparable to NEXT Oncology in core offering (early-phase oncology trials for pharma sponsors), patient referral model, and sponsor relationships.
• START (South Texas Accelerated Research Therapeutics): One of the largest global Phase I oncology clinical trial networks, headquartered in San Antonio — the same metro as NEXT Oncology. Directly comparable mission, scale, and sponsor-driven B2B revenue model focused on first-in-human oncology studies.
• Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute: Large US community oncology practice with a significant Phase I clinical trials program for pharma sponsors. Comparable in community-based oncology patient access and early-phase trial conduct, though smaller in global footprint than NEXT.

Broad incumbents

• The US Oncology Network: The largest network of community-based oncology practices in the US; NEXT's Texas Oncology and Virginia Cancer Specialists partners are both US Oncology practices. Comparable in oncology patient reach and clinical research infrastructure, though US Oncology is broader across trial phases.
• IQVIA: NEXT's parent-affiliate (via the Avacare Clinical Research Network) and the world's largest CRO. Comparable as an oncology clinical research services provider with global reach, though IQVIA operates across many therapeutic areas and trial phases.
• MD Anderson Cancer Center: Premier US academic comprehensive cancer center running a large Phase I oncology program with strong sponsor relationships and scientific output. Overlaps with NEXT in early-phase oncology trials and patient referrals, but operates a much broader clinical and research mandate.
• Worldwide Clinical Trials: Global full-service CRO that has a Site Alliance Collaboration partnership with NEXT Oncology in Spain. Comparable as a clinical research services provider serving pharma sponsors, though it operates across all trial phases and multiple therapeutic areas.
• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: World-leading academic cancer center with a sizable early-phase clinical trials program and deep sponsor relationships. Comparable in Phase I oncology trial execution and scientific credibility, though much broader in scope and academic-versus-community positioning.
• ICON plc: Major global CRO with significant oncology clinical research services. Comparable as a sponsor-facing clinical research services provider, though it is much larger and diversified across therapeutic areas and trial phases.

Emerging players

• Crown Bioscience: Global preclinical and translational CRO with an extended partnership with NEXT Oncology; operates one of the world's largest Phase I oncology clinical trial networks. Comparable in early-phase oncology focus and sponsor services, though more weighted toward preclinical/ translational work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/nextoncology
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/next-oncology-san-antonio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NEXT Oncology