The Clinical Trials Network

What The Clinical Trials Network does

The Clinical Trials Network (CTNx) is a US-based, physician-founded Site Management Organization (SMO) that enables private practice physicians, multi-specialty groups, and hospital systems to launch and operate clinical research programs without building infrastructure in-house. Founded in 2016 by practicing gastroenterologist Dr. Keith Friedenberg and co-developer Chris Petek, the company operates a network of 90+ research sites across 12 therapeutic specialties (including Gastroenterology, Ophthalmology, Neurology, Dermatology, Allergy/Immunology, Cardiology, Endocrinology, Podiatry, Psychiatry, Pulmonology, Rheumatology, and Women's Health), with a stated track record of 400+ clinical trials facilitated and 11,000+ patients enrolled.

CTNx delivers a plug-and-play trial management platform built around a Clinical Trial Management System (CTMS)/eSource layer, augmented by third-party AI integrations: SelectIQ for EMR-driven patient identification and ranking, Virgo's HIPAA/SOC-2 endoscopy video AI for GI trials, and VersaTrial's browser-based study organizer. The company provides centralized regulatory, compliance, data management, and operational support via dedicated teams (Site Engagement, Data Operations, Research Integrity), and is reported to have achieved zero non-compliance letters across 85+ sites.

The business model combines Site Management Fees (infrastructure, compliance, data, and administrative support for partner sites) with Sponsor/CRO Site Placement Fees (connecting sponsors and CROs to qualified sites in the network). CTNx fronts nearly all trial startup costs for sites and operates on a fee-for-service basis with multi-year contracts. Go-to-market is hybrid: direct sales outreach by site engagement officers plus physician referral/word-of-mouth driven by the founder's own research practice credibility. The company remains privately held, founder-led, with no disclosed venture or private equity funding to date.

Name

The Clinical Trials Network

Legal name

The Clinical Trials Network

Website

https://thectnx.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Clinical Trials Network (CTNx) is a physician-founded Site Management Organization that provides infrastructure, regulatory, data, and operational support to a network of 90+ private practice research sites across 12 specialties, connecting them with pharmaceutical sponsors and CROs for clinical trial execution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Clinical Trial Site Management Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011)

akta.pro primary industry

Clinical Trial Site Operations & Study Coordination (HLAGACAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Clinical Trial Management Systems (CTMS) (HLACAOAD)

Keywords

• Clinical trial management
• Site management organization
• Clinical research services
• Patient recruitment services
• Private practice research

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Site Management Fees: CTNx charges fees to research sites (private practices, multi-specialty groups, hospital systems) for providing infrastructure, administrative support, compliance oversight, data management, and access to a network of sponsors and CROs. CTNx fronts nearly all trial start-up costs for sites.
2. Sponsor / CRO Site Placement Fees: CTNx earns fees by connecting sponsors and CROs with qualified research sites in their network. The network presents sites as high-enrolling, quality-focused partners to trial sponsors seeking patient recruitment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CTNx is a site management organization that provides turnkey clinical trial management services to private practice physicians, multi-specialty groups, and hospital systems, enabling them to launch and scale research programs without building their own infrastructure. The company fronts nearly all trial start-up costs, supplies regulatory, compliance, data management, and finance support, and connects partner sites with a curated network of 60+ sponsors and CROs across 12 therapeutic specialty networks.

Product overview

The Clinical Trials Network (CTNx) is a physician-founded clinical trial management company offering a comprehensive suite of services for private practices, multi-specialty groups, and hospital systems seeking to build or scale research programs. CTNx's core offering is its plug-and-play trial management services model, which provides centralized administrative support including site engagement (Kevin Ignasiak's team), data operations/site relations (Seth Brine's team), research integrity/compliance (Whitney Heath's team), and ongoing operations support. The company operates a network of research sites across 12 medical specialties. CTNx has formed strategic partnerships with SelectIQ for AI-powered patient recruitment, Virgo for GI endoscopy AI analysis, and VersaTrial for study organization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Trial Management Services
• Network of Research Sites (12 Specialty Networks)
• Site Engagement Services
• Data Operations / Site Relations Services
• Research Integrity / Compliance Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Trial start-up times reduced by 50%
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SelectIQcoreTechnology or Integration · 11 July 2024CTNx partnered with SelectIQ to leverage AI-powered patient recruitment for its research sites. SelectIQ integrates with a practice's EMR system to analyze patient records and flag individuals whose medical history aligns with clinical trial criteria, ranking them by likelihood of participation. CTNx staff then conducts outreach and pre-screening to connect qualified candidates with study coordinators.
• VersaTrialcoreTechnology or Integration · 25 July 2023CTNx adopted VersaTrial's Study Organizer platform to alleviate technology overload across its network. VersaTrial consolidates study information including technology portals, login credentials, and external contacts into an intelligent browser extension accessible within EDC, CTMS, and ePRO systems, saving study teams time and improving productivity.
• Virgo Surgical Video SolutionscoreTechnology or Integration · 6 April 2023CTNx partnered with Virgo to power GI clinical trials across its network of 30+ gastroenterology sites. Virgo's cloud-based, HIPAA- and SOC-2-compliant platform enables automatic recording, storage, and management of endoscopy videos, with AI tools analyzing inclusion/exclusion criteria to accelerate patient enrollment for trials in Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease.
• AdvertrialminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAdvertrial is listed as an official partner of CTNx on the company's website footer, suggesting a marketing or promotional partnership.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Parexel: Global CRO that works directly with CTNx's sites (per Parexel's Donna Keough testimonial) and represents a key buyer of the kind of community-site access CTNx is built to provide.
• IQVIA: Largest global CRO with embedded site services; CTNx's Dan Nwosu came from IQVIA, and the firm represents both a competitor for sponsor study placement and a potential channel partner for community-site demand.
• Medpace: Mid-to-large full-service CRO with growing site network capabilities; represents a comparable end-to-end clinical research delivery model against which CTNx's site-only offering must differentiate.
• ICON plc: Global CRO with site services and decentralized trial capabilities; relevant comparable for sponsor-side buyer expectations on site quality, compliance, and recruitment scale.

Direct peers

• Elligo Health Research: Directly comparable SMO that brings clinical research to community-based physicians using a 'Goes Research' model, paralleling CTNx's plug-and-play approach to activating private practice sites.
• Velocity Clinical Research: Multi-specialty SMO operating dedicated research sites across therapeutic areas; comparable to CTNx in its site-network, multi-therapeutic model and sponsor-facing service offering.
• WCG Clinical: Clinical research services and site enablement platform with deep sponsor and CRO relationships; comparable to CTNx in the site-oversight and compliance services it sells into the same buyer base.
• ClinEdge: SMO and site services provider supporting research site operations, patient recruitment, and regulatory compliance; comparable in scope of services delivered to private practice sites.

Emerging players

• Science 37: Decentralized clinical trial platform that, like CTNx, addresses limitations of traditional academic sites; adjacent in that it competes for sponsor demand for community-based patient access, though via a different operating model.
• Clario: Clinical trial technology and endpoint services provider; comparable in the technology-enabled clinical trial operations space and a potential partner for CTNx's CTMS/eSource roadmap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-clinical-trials-network

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 The Clinical Trials Network