Tekton's CEO On The Growing Power Of Site Networks

By Dan Schell, Chief Editor, Clinical Leader

Over the past few years, site networks have moved from loosely aligned investigator groups to more structured, operationally unified organizations. You always hear larger networks touting their shared infrastructure, standardized procedures, and centralized contracting as advantages not just for the for sites joining the network, but also for sponsors seeking consistency and scale. At Clinical Leader, we’ve tracked this shift as these site networks slowly reshape the site landscape.

Of course, sponsors are paying closer attention, particularly as timelines tighten and enrollment challenges persist. But it is still early days in determining the effects partnering with larger networks will have on core issues like reducing trial costs, complexity, and delays. The emergence of organizations such as the Association of Multisite Research Corporations (AMRC) signals that the model continues to evolve — and that site networks themselves are working to define their collective value proposition.

That broader trend framed my conversation at SCOPE with Corey Collins, CEO of Tekton Research. His organization operates 25 U.S. sites focused on cardiometabolic, CNS, and infectious disease research, and is a member of AMRC.

Collaboration Over Competition

Collins says that while AMRC is still shaping its direction, he sees immediate value in the shared learning and collective problem-solving associated with being a member. “I don’t look at this space as competitors,” he said. “I think we can all partner together and serve the network and our group better than just a bunch of separate sites. I’ve actually made good friends through the other CEOs. Being able to call them and see what they’re doing and how they’re handling challenges is huge.”

Sponsors are still evaluating how such collaborations fit into the broader ecosystem, but Collins believes networks are gaining a stronger voice by openly discussing bottlenecks and performance realities. He expects collaborative groups like AMRC to further demonstrate how standardized processes and centralized oversight can offer the possibility of simplified sponsor engagement and improved predictability.

The Operational Reality: Delays Happen

Despite the momentum behind site networks, operating conditions remain difficult — particularly in infectious disease research. “It’s extremely challenging to find patients,” Collins said. “Study delays and the length of time it takes for involvement in studies now … we didn’t use to have that.”

Those delays obviously affect operations at any size site. For Tekton, he says they’ve already been running lean as an organization, and “Delays cause hesitation for us to staff up and invest in pre-screening.” Earlier sponsor commitment and clearer timelines, he noted, would allow sites to hire sooner and begin patient engagement earlier.

Growth, Clinician Partnerships, And Diversity

Tekton’s growth strategy centers on clinicians who remain active in patient care and can bring real-world patient populations into studies. “We partner with physicians that are still seeing patients,” Collins said. “We want strong clinicians who advocate for their patients and want them to have access to medications they can’t get today.” Due diligence includes evaluating patient databases, research commitment, quality history, and whether practices include multiple investigators to ensure continuity.

Tekton is expanding its cardiometabolic footprint and growing in CNS while maintaining strength in infectious disease. Diversity has not been a major hurdle. “Roughly 60% of our database is diverse patients,” Collins noted.

At SCOPE, Collins’ focus was less on recruiting sites and more on strengthening sponsor relationships. “It’s always good to connect with customers,” he said, “but this year we really want to build new relationships in person.”

If the rise of site networks signals anything, it is a shift toward collaboration, transparency, and operational reliability. Whether that shift ultimately delivers measurable gains for sponsors remains an open question, but the momentum behind the model continues to build.