Empathx Clinical Research has joined hyperCORE International's global partner site network, expanding the clinical research organization's patient reach and capabilities across the United States. The Tampa Bay-based organization operates eight clinical trial sites across California, Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, and Texas, focusing on advancing trials in cardio-metabolic disease, central nervous system disorders, nephrology, and infectious disease.
The partnership enhances Empathx's ability to work with sponsors to bring potentially life-changing therapies to communities through increased scale, geographic coverage, and access to diverse patient populations. Empathx's unique hybrid model includes both dedicated research centers and integrated sites embedded within large, specialized physician practices, bringing clinical research directly into care environments where patients already receive treatment.
"Joining hyperCORE is about partnering with like-minded, high quality site networks with similar mission," said Empathx CEO Dustin Owen, who previously served as Senior Vice President of Accelerated Enrollment Solutions at Thermo Fisher Scientific/PPD. "The partnership enhances our ability to work with sponsors to bring life-changing therapies to our communities. Our added scale, geographic coverage, and access to diverse patient populations gives sponsors a reliable solution for delivering on clinical trials."
Nicholas Focil, President of hyperCORE International, noted that Empathx's approach to embedding research in clinical care aligns with hyperCORE's mission to expand patient access and deliver high-quality trials. "Empathx Clinical Research brings a strong blend of therapeutic expertise, geographic reach, and innovative site integration to our partner network," Focil said.
hyperCORE International, a partner site network of leading clinical research organizations, now includes more than 80 active trial sites across five countries. The network's partners have collectively completed over 7,000 studies involving more than 140,000 randomized participants. hyperCORE aligns independent organizations around harmonized operational frameworks that support high-quality, consistent trial execution while advancing clinical research through safe, ethical studies, strong enrollment, and superior patient retention.
This expansion matters because it addresses critical challenges in clinical research, including patient recruitment and geographic accessibility. By integrating research sites within existing clinical practices, patients gain easier access to trials without disrupting their regular care, potentially accelerating the development of new treatments for serious conditions. The partnership also provides pharmaceutical sponsors with more efficient pathways to diverse patient populations across multiple states, which could reduce trial timelines and costs while improving data quality.
For the healthcare industry, this collaboration represents a growing trend toward network-based clinical research models that combine local expertise with global standards. Patients in the six states where Empathx operates may benefit from earlier access to innovative therapies, while researchers gain more robust infrastructure for conducting complex trials in specialized therapeutic areas. The partnership's focus on embedding research within clinical care environments could serve as a model for improving trial accessibility nationwide, potentially transforming how new medical treatments reach communities that need them most.
