Alliance Foundation Trials

What Alliance Foundation Trials does

Alliance Foundation Trials, LLC (AFT) is a Boston-based non-profit contract research organization founded in 2014 that develops and conducts cancer clinical trials in partnership with pharmaceutical companies. AFT operates as a single-member LLC under the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Foundation, with its operational structure and funding sources explicitly separated from the Alliance's NCI-funded clinical trials program. The organization leverages a network of nearly 10,000 cancer specialists at hospitals, medical centers, and community clinics across the United States and Canada, offering pharmaceutical partners two operational models: Full Operations (AFT as sponsor holding the IND and responsible for entire study conduct) and Limited Operations (pharmaceutical collaborator as sponsor with AFT responsible for site selection and performance monitoring).

AFT's technology infrastructure relies on industry-standard clinical trial tools rather than proprietary systems, including Medidata RAVE for electronic data capture, Argus Safety System for adverse event reporting, an electronic Trial Master File, a CTMS, and Interactive Response Technology for patient registration. The organization derives revenue exclusively from non-NCI sources, primarily through pharmaceutical partnership funding covering trial sponsorship, drug supply, distribution, and regulatory-grade data submission. Notable trials include the Phase III PATINA study (AFT-38), which enrolled 518 patients across 109 sites in partnership with Pfizer and led to FDA approval of IBRANCE for HR+/HER2+ advanced breast cancer, and the Phase II ARACOG head-to-head trial with Bayer evaluating NUBEQA versus enzalutamide in advanced prostate cancer.

The organization pursues international trial execution through co-sponsorship partnerships with academic collaborative groups including Breast Cancer Trials (Australia/New Zealand), Fondazione Michelangelo, GBG Forschungs GmbH, PrECOG, SOLTI, and Unicancer. AFT's go-to-market relies on invitation-based site engagement through the Alliance institutional member network, with site selection driven by feasibility assessments and prior performance metrics rather than traditional commercial sales channels. Leadership comprises academic oncologists from major US medical centers including Mayo Clinic, Harvard/Dana-Farber, University of Chicago, Northwestern, and MD Anderson, reinforcing the organization's position as a bridge between academic research rigor and pharmaceutical industry resources.

Name

Alliance Foundation Trials

Legal name

Alliance Foundation Trials, LLC

Website

https://alliancefoundationtrials.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Alliance Foundation Trials is a non-profit contract research organization that develops and conducts cancer clinical trials in partnership with pharmaceutical companies, leveraging a network of nearly 10,000 oncology specialists across the US and Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Oncology Clinical Research Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Site Network Operators & SMOs (HLAGACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Site Identification & Feasibility (HLAGACAB), Clinical Trial Site Operations & Study Coordination (HLAGACAE), Clinical Trial Monitoring Support (On-site/Remote) (HLAGACAG), Global Health Research, Clinical Trials & Product Development Partnerships (PDPs) (HLAJAOAM)

Keywords

• Oncology clinical trials
• Cancer research services
• Clinical trial management
• Pharmaceutical partnership trials
• Investigational cancer therapies

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Pharmaceutical partnership funding: AFT is funded exclusively by non-National Cancer Institute (NCI) sources, primarily through collaborations with pharmaceutical partners who provide funding, drug supply, distribution, and data submission for regulatory approval. AFT conducts trials in two operational models: Full Operations (AFT as sponsor, holds IND, responsible for entire study conduct) and Limited Operations (pharmaceutical collaborator as sponsor, AFT responsible for site selection and performance monitoring).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Alliance Foundation Trials, LLC (AFT) is a non-profit clinical research organization that develops and conducts cancer clinical trials in partnership with pharmaceutical companies, academic collaborators, and the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology institutional member network of nearly 10,000 cancer specialists. AFT offers two operational models: Full Operations (AFT as sponsor holding the IND, responsible for entire study conduct) and Limited Operations (pharmaceutical collaborator as sponsor, with AFT responsible for site selection and performance monitoring). Services include study design, site identification, regulatory oversight, data management, safety reporting, biospecimen management, and clinical operations support for industry-funded oncology studies.

Product overview

Alliance Foundation Trials, LLC (AFT) is a research organization that develops and conducts cancer clinical trials, working closely with pharmaceutical partners, research collaborators, and the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology scientific investigators and institutional member network. AFT does not offer a commercial software product; rather, it provides clinical trial research services including study design, site selection, regulatory oversight, data management, and clinical operations support for oncology studies. The organization operates as a contract research organization (CRO) that partners with pharmaceutical companies to conduct industry-funded clinical trials in cancer research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AFT Full Operations Trial Sponsorship
• AFT Limited Operations Trial Services
• AFT-38 PATINA Phase III Trial
• AFT ARACOG Phase II Trial

Quantifiable outcome

• 24% reduction in risk of progression or death with palbociclib added to standard therapy in HR+, HER2+ advanced breast cancer (Phase III PATINA trial, n=518 patients, median PFS extended from 29.1 to 44.3 months)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Breast Cancer Trials (Australia and New Zealand)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2024Breast Cancer Trials (BCT) is an academic collaborative group based in Australia and New Zealand that partnered with AFT as a co-sponsor in the global Phase III PATINA trial (AFT-38). BCT contributed to the international enrollment of 518 patients across 109 sites, representing a key academic collaboration for the study.
• Fondazione MichelangelocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2024Fondazione Michelangelo is an academic collaborative group that partnered with AFT as part of the international academic collaboration for the Phase III PATINA trial, contributing to the global sponsor partnership alongside AFT, Breast Cancer Trials, GBG Forschungs GmbH, PrECOG, SOLTI, and Unicancer.
• GBG Forschungs GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2024GBG Forschungs GmbH, a German academic research organization specializing in breast cancer, participated as a collaborative partner in the AFT-led Phase III PATINA trial, contributing to the international academic collaboration structure.
• PrECOGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2024PrECOG, a cancer research consortium, partnered with AFT in the global Phase III PATINA trial as part of the academic collaboration led by AFT as global sponsor, alongside Breast Cancer Trials, Fondazione Michelangelo, GBG Forschungs GmbH, SOLTI, and Unicancer.
• SOLTIcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2024SOLTI, a Spanish academic cooperative group focused on oncology research, collaborated with AFT as a partner in the Phase III PATINA trial, contributing to the international academic network executing the study across 109 sites.
• UnicancercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2024Unicancer, the French comprehensive cancer center federation, participated as an academic collaborative partner in the AFT-led Phase III PATINA trial, representing one of several international academic groups contributing to the global study.
• Pfizer Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2024Pfizer Inc. funded the Phase III PATINA study (AFT-38) and provided drug supply and distribution. AFT served as the global sponsor holding the IND, with Pfizer providing funding, drug supply, and data submission for regulatory approval. The trial results led to FDA approval of IBRANCE (palbociclib) for HR+, HER2+ advanced breast cancer.
• Alliance for Clinical Trials in OncologycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2024AFT works closely with the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, leveraging its scientific investigators and institutional member network. AFT is managed by the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Foundation, its sole member. AFT's operational structure and funding are separate from the NCI-funded Alliance clinical trials program. Studies are developed by Alliance scientific committees and integrated into the committees' scientific goals.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• IQVIA: IQVIA is the world's largest CRO, providing full-service global clinical trial operations including oncology. It competes with AFT for pharma sponsor contracts but at much broader scale, full operational scope, and with proprietary technology/data assets AFT lacks.
• ICON plc: ICON plc is a top-tier global CRO with significant oncology franchise (formerly PRA Health Sciences). It competes for large pharma Phase III oncology programs that AFT also targets, but offers fully integrated global site management rather than academic-network models.
• Parexel International: Parexel is a major global CRO with deep oncology and Phase III capabilities, now operating under EQT/Goldman ownership. It competes for the same pharma-sponsored pivotal oncology trials that AFT pursues, with much broader geographic and operational footprint.

Direct peers

• Children's Oncology Group (COG): COG is an NCI-supported cooperative group running multi-institutional pediatric and adolescent oncology trials. Its cooperative group model, site network governance, and trial-sponsor functions directly mirror AFT's structural role in adult oncology.
• NRG Oncology: NRG Oncology is a U.S. NCI-funded cooperative group conducting multi-institutional cancer clinical trials, structurally comparable to AFT's Alliance network relationship. Both operate academically governed, multi-site oncology trial infrastructure for the same pharma and NCI sponsors.
• European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC): EORTC is a pan-European academic cooperative group running multi-center oncology clinical trials. It is structurally and operationally analogous to AFT as an academic, non-profit, multi-site oncology trial sponsor, with regional rather than global concentration.
• SWOG Cancer Research Network: SWOG is one of the largest U.S. NCI-funded cooperative oncology groups, conducting practice-changing Phase III trials across an extensive member network. Its multi-institutional, academically governed structure closely parallels AFT's operating model.
• ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group: ECOG-ACRIN is an NCI-funded cooperative group running large-scale Phase II/III oncology trials across academic and community sites. Like AFT, it provides sponsor-grade trial infrastructure for cancer drug development, though through federally-funded rather than pharma-funded channels.

Others

• Medidata Solutions: Medidata (Dassault Systèmes) provides the Medidata RAVE EDC platform that AFT uses as a customer. As the dominant clinical trials technology vendor, Medidata is an enabling infrastructure peer — not a direct competitor but a critical technology dependency for AFT's operations.

Regional players

• Cancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unit: Cancer Research UK funds and runs multi-center oncology clinical trials primarily in the UK and Europe. It is comparable to AFT as an academic, non-profit, multi-site oncology trial sponsor but operates under a UK geography and charity funding model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Alliance Foundation Trials