In the release, Zach Taft, CEO of IgniteData, added: "Unlike other vendor connectors that require organizations to use a single, proprietary platform to unlock efficiencies, our partnership with Advarra will give research sites the flexibility to use the tools they choose.”
Data collection challenges in oncology trials
Efficient data collection has long been a challenge for the clinical research industry, especially in oncology trials. A recent article published in Applied Clinical Trials on scaling eSource-enabled clinical trials highlighted opportunities to address this challenge from a hospital perspective. The authors found:
- Around 20% of study costs are spent on data duplication and verification, with over half of trial data duplicated between hospital EHRs and research systems.
- Manual data entry consumes thousands of hours per trial, costing up to $50,000 per patient, while eSource automation can cut site burden by 50% and save $15,000 per patient.
- Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered eSource systems automate EHR-to-EDC transfers, reduce transcription errors by up to 99%, and standardize unstructured data like imaging and clinical notes.
- Interoperability, data mapping, and regulatory compliance remain key barriers, requiring collaboration among hospitals, sponsors, and technology vendors.
- Within two years, most Phase I oncology trials are expected to be fully eSource-enabled, reducing database lock times by six months and establishing a scalable, digital trial model.
According to Advarra, the integration with IgniteData is currently being developed and early collaboration with customers is already underway.
IgniteData partners with Microsoft to leverage AI
This new partnership comes on the heels of IgniteData revealing it had been selected for the Microsoft for Startups Pegasus Program. The collaboration, announced in September, will allow IgniteData to apply an agentic approach to generative AI, enabling unstructured EHR data to be organized and presented to research coordinators for review.2
The Pegasus Program is an invite-only initiative that assists B2B startups rapidly scale by granting access to Microsoft’s technology and mentorship ecosystem. In this collaboration, the program will be accelerating adoption of Archer.
In a statement from the time, Steve Tolle, chief product and technology officer of IgniteData, said: “We are honored to be part of the Microsoft for Startups Pegasus Program. […] IgniteData is already partnering with the world’s largest technology companies and the most prestigious healthcare organizations to deliver groundbreaking results. Together, we’re leveraging the power of agentic AI and intelligent automation to transform clinical trials—accelerating speed, eliminating inefficiencies, and setting a new global standard for data accuracy and compliance.”
References
1. Advarra and IgniteData Announce Partnership to Simplify Clinical Trial Data Transfer for Research Sites. News release. Advarra. Novemver 12, 2025. Accessed Novemver 13, 2025. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/advarra-and-ignitedata-announce-partnership-to-simplify-clinical-trial-data-transfer-for-research-sites-302612178.html
2. IgniteData Selected for Microsoft for Startups Pegasus Program: Agentic AI Powers Archer Solution to Transform Clinical Trial Data Transfer. News release. IgniteData. September 24, 2025. Accessed November 13, 2025. https://ignitedata.com/ignitedata-selected-for-microsoft-for-startups-pegasus-program-agentic-ai-powers-archer-solution-to-transform-clinical-trial-data-transfer/