A Tech-Startup and a GI Giant Just Redefined Clinical Research

What happens when the largest GI practice in the country partners with a digital-native startup?

You get more than scale. You get a radical redesign of how clinical research works—where trials no longer live on the sidelines of care, but at its very center.

On The Scope Forward Show, Dr. Jonathan Ng (Founder & CEO, Iterative Health) and Dr. Casey Chapman (CMO, GI Alliance) announced a first-of-its-kind alliance:
→ 80 research sites across the globe
→ A shared platform for trial execution at the point of care
→ And a vision to restore agency to physicians while unlocking equitable access for patients

“It’s not about trial volume. It’s about raising the standard of care through research.”
– Dr. Jonathan Ng

“If this was just about ROI, we wouldn’t be here. This is about building the future—with physicians, for patients.”
– Dr. Casey Chapman

This isn’t a financial partnership. It’s a systemic intervention—two years in the making—that breaks through recruitment bottlenecks, removes operational friction, and makes GI a launchpad for drug innovation.

I'm excited about this announcement because it signals a shift not just for the organizations involved but for GI at large.

Top 10 Highlights:

1. A Historic Alliance: The world’s largest GI research network is here—80 sites and growing.
2. Two Years in the Making: What started as “what if” became a deeply aligned mission.
3. Research Where Care Happens: Clinical trials integrated into community-based care.
4. Choosing a Startup: GI Alliance chose Iterative Health for their patient-first, flexible approach.
5. Beyond Tech: Iterative learned that tools alone can’t solve broken systems.
6. Focus on IBD & Liver: Targeting the conditions that matter most to real-world GI patients.
7. Success = Empowerment: The goal is a generation of research-empowered GIs.
8. Advice for Startups: Lead with listening, not just tech.
9. Why Scope Forward: A platform aligned with values of physician empowerment.
10. It Was Always About People: Partnership success came from shared priorities—not profit motives.