Interview with Enrique Conde, CEO of the CRO Effice Research, on the future of Clinical Research

by Persei vivarium, July 30, 2025

Interview with Enrique Conde, CEO of Effice Research, on the future of clinical research and the growing role of Digital Health and Digital Therapeutics (DTx).
Effice Research is a Contract Research Organization (CRO) that collaborates with our company, Persei vivarium, on research projects.

What role does a Contract Research Organization (CRO) play in the management of current clinical research?

These days, a CRO (Contract Research Organization) is a key strategic partner in clinical research. We help laboratories and medical organizations design, manage, and monitor their trials, integrating technological tools that enable better speed, control, and data quality in an environment that is increasingly digital.

What advances have occurred in clinical research over the past few years? What role has technology played in those advances?

We have seen a major transformation, especially in the digitalization of the processes, the adoption of decentralized trials, and the integration of data in real time. In these cases, technology has played a key role: from platforms for electronic Case Report Forms (eCRF) to tools for remote patient monitoring and data analysis. This has enabled more efficient, inclusive and patient-centered research.

How easy do you think it is to balance innovation with the rigor required in clinical research?

This is certainly a challenge, but one that is necessary and unavoidable. The key is to integrate innovation in a gradual way that is aligned with regulation and best clinical practices. The rigor is nonnegotiable, but this does not imply rigidity. Innovation does not entail running unnecessary risks, but rather finding new ways to improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of the research process.

How does Effice Research incorporate innovation and technology in the management of clinical trials?

At Effice Research, we are strongly committed to collaborative innovation. We work with technological partners like Persei vivarium to integrate Digital Health solutions that enable us to monitor outcomes in real time and improve the patient’s experience. In addition, we incorporate models of hybrid and decentralized trials, utilizing digital platforms that facilitate the patients’ participation from their usual environments.

In your experience, how do you view the future of Digital Therapeutics (DTx) in clinical research?

Digital Therapeutics represent a new route for clinical research. The studies of these methods should be designed to substantiate the outcomes that these technologies are aiming at, while taking into account their special features and subtleties that differ from both medications and traditional health products, even though administratively they are considered a health product. Over the next few years, it is probable that even more studies will incorporate digital interventions as part of the treatment or as a primary object of the study.

What advantages do Digital Therapeutics (DTx) offer over traditional therapies in terms of outcomes?

Digital Therapeutics enable continuous collection and validation of data, which provides a more complete view of the status and progress of the patient. In addition, they enable dynamic adaptations, depending on the user’s behavior, something which is difficult to achieve with most traditional therapies. This can result in closer monitoring of the patient, greater adherence, better clinical outcomes, and a more precise evaluation of the effects of the treatment.

How do you see the future of Digital Health in clinical research over the next 5-10 years?

Over the next few years, Digital Health will become a central part of clinical research. We will see better integration of the data produced by medical devices, apps, personal wearables, patient monitoring platforms, etc. This will permit more personalized and flexible trials. The collaboration between CROs, technology companies, and the scientific community will be fundamental for moving toward research that is more efficient and patient centered.

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