Global Coalition for Adaptive Research

What Global Coalition for Adaptive Research does

Global Coalition for Adaptive Research (GCAR) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2018 and headquartered in Larkspur, California, that sponsors and operates adaptive platform trials and master protocols for rare and deadly diseases. The organization's core technology is the application of Bayesian statistical methods, response-adaptive randomization, and master protocol design to enable simultaneous evaluation of multiple therapies from different pharmaceutical sponsors against shared control arms, producing regulatory-grade data for FDA submissions. GCAR's portfolio spans eight trials: GBM AGILE (glioblastoma; launched 2019 with ~60 sites across six countries), M-PACT (Department of Defense PTSD trial), REMAP-CAP/COVID, Ovarian CanceRx, ARBOR BTC (biliary tract cancer), the Neurofibromatosis Platform Trial, IMPACT PDAC (pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma), and KLEOS (colorectal cancer, launched May 2026). As of January 2026, the platform has enrolled 3,035 patient participants across 79 trial sites with 768 scientific investigators and 47 partners.

GCAR's business model is philanthropic rather than commercial: the organization is funded through charitable donations (e.g., Yousefzadeh family $2M, NFCR $1.5M+, LR Foundation $7.5M), grants (notably a U.S. Department of Defense award for M-PACT), and pharmaceutical/biotech partnerships in which sponsors contribute investigational assets and funding to be evaluated within GCAR's trial infrastructure. Patients do not pay for participation. Revenue model types identified in the input include donations/philanthropy and professional services from partner collaborations. Its go-to-market is enterprise-style field sales: GCAR engages directly with pharma/biotech drug developers, academic medical centers, and patient advocacy groups to align new therapy arms and disease indications. Key customers/stakeholders include patients with rare and deadly diseases (GBM, CRC, ovarian, pancreatic, biliary tract, neurofibromatosis, PTSD), clinicians and academic research sites, and biotech/pharmaceutical drug developers seeking accelerated, efficient regulatory pathways for investigational therapies.

Name

Global Coalition for Adaptive Research

Legal name

Global Coalition for Adaptive Research, Inc.

Website

https://gcaresearch.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Global Coalition for Adaptive Research (GCAR) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that sponsors adaptive platform trials and master protocols to accelerate evaluation of therapies for rare and deadly diseases including glioblastoma, PTSD, and multiple cancers, serving pharmaceutical partners, academic medical centers, and patients globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Clinical Trial Sponsorship & Adaptive Trial 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

Precision Clinical Trials Enablement (patient matching, site matching, adaptive trials) (HLAAANAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Global Health Research, Clinical Trials & Product Development Partnerships (PDPs) (HLAJAOAM), Investigator & Site Training / GCP Support (HLAGACAF)

Keywords

• Adaptive platform trials
• Master protocol design
• Clinical trial sponsorship
• Rare disease research
• Oncology clinical trials

Headquarters

HQ city

Larkspur

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Philanthropic Contributions: GCAR is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization funded primarily through donations from individuals, foundations, and organizations. The organization received significant donations including $7.5 million from the LR Foundation to support the KLEOS colorectal cancer trial platform.
2. Pharmaceutical Partnership Collaborations: Collaborations with pharmaceutical and biotech companies to include their investigational therapies in GCAR's adaptive platform trials, with companies providing funding and drug supply for evaluation.
3. Government and Institutional Grants: Funding from government agencies such as the U.S. Department of Defense for trials like M-PACT PTSD, and partnerships with health authorities for regulatory-aligned trial designs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Global Coalition for Adaptive Research (GCAR) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that sponsors and operationalizes adaptive platform clinical trials and master protocols. It designs, funds, and runs multi-arm trials (such as GBM AGILE, M-PACT, REMAP-CAP/COVID, OVARIAN CANCERX, ARBOR BTC, Neurofibromatosis Platform Trial, IMPACT PDAC, and KLEOS) that allow investigational therapies from multiple pharmaceutical and biotech companies to be evaluated simultaneously against shared control arms using Bayesian and response-adaptive randomization methods.

Product overview

Global Coalition for Adaptive Research (GCAR) operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that serves as a platform sponsor for multiple adaptive platform trials and master protocols. The portfolio includes: GBM AGILE (an international adaptive platform trial for glioblastoma); M-PACT (Department of Defense-sponsored PTSD trial); REMAP-CAP/COVID (adaptive platform for community-acquired pneumonia and COVID-19); OVARIAN CANCERX (ovarian cancer adaptive trial); ARBOR BTC (biliary tract cancer master protocol); Neurofibromatosis Platform Trial; IMPACT PDAC (pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma master protocol); and KLEOS (colorectal cancer adaptive trial platform). GCAR functions as a collaborative infrastructure that unites physicians, clinical researchers, advocacy organizations, biotech/pharma companies, and health authorities to modernize clinical trials through master protocols and adaptive platform designs that enable simultaneous evaluation of multiple therapies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GBM AGILE: Glioblastoma Adaptive Global Innovative Learning Environment - an international adaptive platform trial for glioblastoma (GBM), the most common and aggressive form of primary brain cancer.
• KLEOS
• Ovarian CanceRx
• M-PACT
• REMAP-CAP/COVID
• ARBOR BTC
• Neurofibromatosis Platform Trial
• IMPACT PDAC

Products and services

• GBM AGILE (Glioblastoma Adaptive Global Innovative Learning Environment) An international Phase 2/3 seamless adaptive platform trial for glioblastoma that evaluates multiple therapies or combinations from different pharmaceutical companies simultaneously against a shared control arm using response-adaptive randomization and Bayesian statistics, designed to generate data supporting regulatory submissions to FDA and other health authorities.
• M-PACT (Military and Veterans PTSD Adaptive Platform Trial) A Department of Defense-sponsored adaptive platform trial for developing new treatments for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) affecting active duty military and veterans.
• REMAP-CAP/COVID An international adaptive platform trial for Community-Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) that expanded to evaluate treatments for COVID-19, generating practice-changing evidence for critically ill patients.
• OVARIAN CANCERX An adaptive platform trial for ovarian cancer designed to accelerate delivery of new therapies to women with newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer or recurrent platinum resistant disease, featuring a biomarker strategy for personalized treatment matching.
• ARBOR BTC A biliary tract cancer (BTC) master protocol designed to evaluate multiple therapeutic approaches for this rare cancer type.
• Neurofibromatosis Platform Trial An adaptive platform trial for neurofibromatosis developed in collaboration with the Children's Tumor Foundation, aimed at accelerating treatment options for patients with this genetic disorder.
• IMPACT PDAC A pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) master protocol designed to evaluate novel therapeutic approaches for one of the deadliest cancers, developed in partnership with PanCAN.
• KLEOS A landmark adaptive clinical trial platform for colorectal cancer (CRC), developed in collaboration with the Colorectal Cancer Alliance's Project Cure CRC initiative. Supported by a $7.5 million donation, KLEOS aims to accelerate evaluation of promising therapies while broadening patient access to cutting-edge treatment options.

Quantifiable outcome

• GBM AGILE has screened over 2,600 patients at approximately 60 trial locations in six countries since 2019
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and key.

• Knoa PharmacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 June 2026Announced first newly diagnosed glioblastoma patient randomized in Phase 2/3 GBM AGILE evaluation of tinostamustine and first recurrent patient dosed. Knoa Pharma is a public health-focused pharmaceutical company.
• Colorectal Cancer AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 May 2026Strategic collaboration to establish KLEOS, a landmark adaptive clinical trial platform in colorectal cancer. The Alliance received a $7.5 million donation (in part by the LR Foundation) to support this multiphase initiative aimed at accelerating CRC research. KLEOS will employ efficient adaptive trial design to evaluate promising therapies.
• Purdue Pharma L.P.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2026Collaboration to activate tinostamustine in GBM AGILE, an international adaptive platform trial for glioblastoma. Tinostamustine, a first-in-class agent combining DNA alkylating activity with HDAC inhibition, is being evaluated in newly diagnosed GBM patients and a recurrent GBM cohort. Purdue Pharma's subsidiary Imbrium Therapeutics is engaged in the development.
• Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN)keyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 January 2024Alliance to accelerate treatment options for pancreatic cancer patients through the IMPACT PDAC platform trial.
• Children's Tumor FoundationkeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 October 2023Strategic alliance to implement the Neurofibromatosis Platform Clinical Trial, combining expertise in NF research with GCAR's adaptive trial capabilities.
• National Brain Tumor SocietykeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey strategic partner for the GBM AGILE trial effort, providing philanthropic support and assistance in communicating with patients and families.
• National Foundation for Cancer ResearchkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey strategic partner providing funding and support for GBM AGILE. Committed more than $1.5 million to the project. Co-founder and board member Sujuan Ba, Ph.D. is involved in GCAR leadership.
• Asian Fund for Cancer ResearchkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey strategic partner for the GBM AGILE trial effort, providing philanthropic support for cancer research initiatives.
• Berry ConsultantscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner providing expertise in adaptive clinical trial design and Bayesian statistics. Don Berry serves as Lead Statistician of GBM AGILE.
• Cure Brain Cancer FoundationkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitial strategic partner that helped conceive GBM AGILE in 2015 and provided support for planning and design of the adaptive trial platform.
• Kazia TherapeuticscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActivated paxalisib in GBM AGILE trial for evaluation in newly diagnosed unmethylated and recurrent GBM. Dr. James Garner, CEO, expressed commitment to the platform approach.
• Kintara TherapeuticscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActivated VAL-083 in GBM AGILE, being evaluated for NDUM, recurrent GBM, and newly diagnosed methylated GBM. VAL-083 is the first compound being evaluated for patients with newly diagnosed methylated MGMT tumors.
• BayercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBayer's regorafenib was the first drug to enter GBM AGILE. Dr. Svetlana Kobina from Bayer expressed commitment to the innovative trial platform for accelerating evaluation of treatments.
• Henry Ford Cancer InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst clinical site activated for GBM AGILE in the world, led by Dr. Tom Mikkelsen. Serves as a key trial location demonstrating GCAR's ability to rapidly open sites.
• University of California, San FranciscokeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. John de Groot serves as Principal Investigator for tinostamustine's evaluation in GBM AGILE. Major academic center partner in the network.
• MD Anderson Cancer CenterkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. John de Groot also serves as Principal Investigator for VAL-083 arm. Dr. W.K. Alfred Yung serves as Executive Vice President of International Collaborations. Key academic partner.
• U.S. Department of DefensecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGCAR selected as regulatory lead for the M-PACT PTSD trial, a Department of Defense initiative for active duty military and veterans.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• I-SPY TRIALs Consortium: Academic adaptive platform trial consortium for breast cancer, using master protocol and Bayesian response-adaptive randomization. CEO Meredith Buxton previously served as Executive Director. Directly comparable model and methodology to GBM AGILE.
• Berry Consultants: Statistical design firm specializing in adaptive clinical trials, including I-SPY and GBM AGILE. Don Berry is Lead Statistician of GBM AGILE. Overlapping mission on adaptive platform design but positioned as a for-profit CRO.
• Critical Path Institute: 501(c)(3) nonprofit that collaborates with FDA, industry, and academia to accelerate drug development through data sharing, trial innovation, and regulatory science. Similar nonprofit model and focus on rare-disease drug development efficiency.
• REMAP-CAP: International adaptive platform trial for community-acquired pneumonia that expanded to COVID-19; GCAR operates as the US sponsor for the REMAP-CAP/COVID arm. Directly comparable platform structure and pandemic response orientation.
• Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH): 501(c)(3) nonprofit that manages large-scale public-private partnerships supporting biomedical research, including adaptive trial consortia. Comparable nonprofit model, NIH-aligned mission, and reliance on multi-stakeholder funding.

Others

• Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN): 501(c)(3) patient advocacy organization partnering with GCAR on IMPACT PDAC platform trial. Comparable in mission and disease-area focus but primarily a funder/advocate rather than trial operator.
• Stand Up To Cancer: 501(c)(3) that funds collaborative, multi-institutional "dream team" translational cancer research, including novel trial designs. Comparable philanthropic model and rare-cancer focus.
• National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR): 501(c)(3) philanthropic funder of cancer research; committed over $1.5M to GCAR's GBM AGILE and Sujuan Ba serves on GCAR's board. Comparable nonprofit mission and partnership/funder overlap.

Emerging players

• Friends of Cancer Research: Patient-focused nonprofit that drives regulatory and clinical trial innovation, including master protocol concepts. Comparable in shaping regulatory policy for adaptive trial designs and rare-cancer drug development.

Regional players

• European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC): European nonprofit running multi-arm oncology trials across European academic centers. Comparable nonprofit master-protocol operator but focused on the European geography and oncology indications.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GCAResearch
• Facebookfacebook.com/GCAResearch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gcaresearch
• Instagraminstagram.com/gcaresearch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Global Coalition for Adaptive Research