IQVIA and Duke Clinical Research Institute Announce Strategic Collaboration

Partnership aims to advance clinical research in obesity and related conditions

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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IQVIA, a leading global provider of clinical research services, and the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI), one of the world's largest academic clinical research organizations, have announced a new strategic collaboration to enhance the conduct of clinical research in obesity and related cardiometabolic trials. The collaboration will leverage the combined strengths of the two organizations to accelerate clinical programs, ensure coordinated support, and ultimately bring impactful therapies to patients faster.

Why it matters

Obesity and related cardiometabolic conditions are major public health challenges, and advancing clinical research in these areas is crucial for developing new and more effective treatments. This collaboration between IQVIA and DCRI brings together industry-leading expertise and resources to drive innovation and improve patient outcomes.

The details

Through the collaboration, IQVIA will provide its operational excellence, global reach, and advanced analytics capabilities, while DCRI will contribute its academic rigor, proven infrastructure for trial operations, and deep expertise in cardiometabolic and renal disease. The partnership aims to maximize trial efficiency, accelerate timelines, and ensure scientifically robust and operationally agile studies that deliver meaningful results for sponsors, regulators, and patients.

  • The collaboration was announced on February 10, 2026.

The players

IQVIA

A leading global provider of clinical research services, commercial insights, and healthcare intelligence to the life sciences and healthcare industries.

Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI)

One of the world's largest academic clinical research organizations with extensive experience designing and operationally executing large, complex multi-center clinical trials.

Dr. Jeffrey Spaeder

Chief medical and scientific officer at IQVIA.

Dr. Adrian Hernandez

Executive director of the DCRI.

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What they’re saying

“By combining IQVIA's operational excellence and global reach with DCRI's academic rigor, we are setting a new standard for prospective collaboration between life science service companies and academic research organizations to accelerate clinical trial planning and delivery in obesity and related therapeutic areas.”

— Dr. Jeffrey Spaeder, Chief medical and scientific officer, IQVIA (Business Wire)

“DCRI's proven infrastructure for trial operations — including site activation, patient pre-screening, enrollment, retention and study management — along with our deep expertise in cardiometabolic and renal disease, enables us to design and execute trials that are both scientifically robust and operationally agile.”

— Dr. Adrian Hernandez, Executive director, DCRI (Business Wire)

What’s next

The collaboration between IQVIA and DCRI is expected to drive meaningful improvements in patient care and set new benchmarks for both operational and scientific excellence in clinical research for obesity and related conditions.

The takeaway

This strategic partnership between a leading global clinical research provider and a renowned academic research organization demonstrates the power of collaboration to accelerate the development and delivery of innovative treatments that can have a significant impact on public health.