Reactions to Being "Powered By Purpose"
In recognition of Clinical Trials Day 2025, celebrated on May 20 under the theme “Powered by Purpose,” a group of industry thought leaders, including PHARMASEAL’s Chief Product Officer Ricky Lakhani, shared their insights with ACRP. The discussion explored the driving forces behind their work in clinical research, as well as the most pressing challenges and promising opportunities shaping the future of the field.
Here is what Ricky shared
My clinical research power is…
…turning clinical complexity into scalable, user-friendly innovation by bridging the needs of the clinical research industry with technical strategy to deliver impactful software solutions. My work aligns cross-functional needs—scientific, operational, and business—in technology products that drive measurable improvements in trial execution. I also accelerate innovation across the clinical research ecosystem, empowering teams to move faster, smarter, and more confidently as they bring better therapies to patients, sooner.
The greatest challenge I see to clinical research right now is…
…technology adoption and data interoperability. Despite advances in digital solutions, many companies still rely on outdated systems or manual processes. Resistance to change, lack of standardized platforms, and limited interoperability between technology vendors further slow adoption. As a result, workflows continue to be disjointed, increasing the administrative burden on study teams and reducing overall efficiency. Compounding this challenge is the fragmentation of data sources. Clinical trials generate data from numerous sources. These data sources are often siloed, lacking common standards or seamless integration. Without interoperability, reconciling and analyzing data becomes time-consuming and error-prone, delaying key trial milestones. The challenges of technology adoption and fragmented data create another challenge—hindering the effective use of AI systems, which rely on large volumes of clean, structured, and interoperable data to generate accurate insights, automate processes, and support decision-making. However, when trial data are spread across disparate systems with inconsistent formats, missing fields, or poor integration, AI algorithms struggle to access the high-quality inputs they need.
The greatest opportunity I see for clinical research in the near future is…
…leveraging AI to transform the way research is conducted to bring novel therapies to market faster. As the industry continues to modernize in its use of digital approaches, AI can serve as a catalyst for unifying disjointed systems and unlocking the value of complex, siloed data. By applying machine learning to harmonize disparate data sources, AI can reduce manual reconciliation efforts, enhance data quality, and accelerate insights across trial operations. With clean, structured, and interoperable data, AI has the potential to optimize site selection, predict patient enrollment, identify protocol deviations, and automate routine tasks—dramatically improving trial speed and accuracy. Natural language processing can extract key information from unstructured sources, while predictive analytics can proactively flag risks before they disrupt study timelines. This transformation depends on continued investment in interoperable technologies and a willingness to embrace AI-enabled workflows. For organizations ready to evolve, AI offers not just automation, but strategic intelligence—reshaping clinical research from reactive to proactive, and from complex to connected. The opportunity lies in using AI not as a standalone tool, but as an integrated layer that enhances every part of the clinical trial lifecycle.
Read the full article featuring some of the industry experts.