Sarah Cannon Research Institute Announces Strategic Oncology Research Collaboration with Pfizer

Sarah Cannon Research Institute (SCRI), one of the world’s leading oncology research organizations conducting community-based clinical trials, today announced a strategic collaboration with Pfizer Inc. to advance the development of Pfizer’s oncology portfolio through a science‑driven and scaled research program designed to bring promising therapies to patients faster and closer to home.

Central to the collaboration is SCRI’s Accelero™, a next-generation clinical trial delivery model designed to accelerate oncology drug development and expand patient access to innovative therapies in the community setting. By leveraging Accelero in this collaboration, SCRI and Pfizer aim to streamline trial operations, enhance site efficiency, and reduce burden for investigators and care teams.

SCRI and Pfizer previously collaborated on three studies utilizing the Accelero model, which quickly expanded to more than ten, enabling faster study start-up, improved execution, and the efficient delivery of promising therapies to patients closer to home. Leading the field in study start-up and time to enrollment, SCRI has achieved a 47% reduction in study activation timelines, enrolling the first patients 57% faster through Accelero compared to historical performance.

“This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to advance novel oncology therapies by conducting community-based research with scientific rigor,” said Dee Anna Smith, chief executive officer, SCRI. “By combining Pfizer’s innovation with SCRI’s integrated research infrastructure and broad U.S. patient access, we can execute trials more efficiently, accelerate enrollment, and bring better treatment options to patients faster.”

SCRI physicians and clinical experts provide strategic guidance across Pfizer’s oncology portfolio using real-world data to inform study design, clinical strategy, and digitally enabled approaches to research execution. By engaging early in protocol development, SCRI ensures innovative approaches align with operational feasibility and support shared goals for speed, quality, enrollment, and patient access.

“Pfizer is focused on advancing breakthroughs that have the potential to change patients’ lives,” said Kamran Ansari, head of clinical development & operations, Pfizer. “By partnering with SCRI and leveraging their expertise, we have the opportunity to enhance recruitment and make our oncology clinical studies more accessible in local communities, with the goal of accelerating access to potential new therapies for people with cancer.”

About Sarah Cannon Research Institute (SCRI)

Sarah Cannon Research Institute (SCRI) is one of the world’s leading oncology research organizations conducting community-based clinical trials. Focused on advancing therapies for patients over the last three decades, SCRI is a leader in drug development. It has conducted more than 900 first-in-human clinical trials since its inception and contributed to pivotal research that has led to the majority of new cancer therapies approved by the FDA in the past decade. SCRI’s research network brings together approximately 1,500 oncology physicians who provide access to clinical trials in SCRI’s research network of over 200 locations in more than 20 states across the U.S. Visit SCRI.com to learn more.

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