Parexel Teams with MyEyeDr. to Increase Patient Access and Participation in Ophthalmology Clinical Trials

New collaboration leverages MyEyeDr.’s 850+ offices across the US to refer patients into ophthalmology and other therapeutic area clinical trials, expands Parexel’s Community Alliance Network to bring trials to patients where they are

BOSTON and DURHAM, N.C., Dec. 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Parexel, one of the world’s largest clinical research organizations (CROs) providing the full range of Phase I to IV clinical development services, today announced a formal agreement with MyEyeDr., a leading vision healthcare organization, to refer its patients into existing and future ophthalmology clinical trials. Parexel and MyEyeDr. are currently collaborating on recruitment for a diabetic retinopathy clinical trial with future plans to expand into additional therapeutic areas such as endocrinology.

“Meeting patients where they already are — such as centers providing annual routine eye exams and other vision care — is vital to the development of new therapies,” said Clare Grace, PhD, Chief Patient Officer for Parexel. “By fostering relationships with the broader healthcare community, we’re able to raise awareness and ensure more patients are exposed to clinical research as a care option, in turn increasing our reach for clinical trial recruitment and, ultimately, speeding the availability of life-changing treatments.”

Through the collaboration, Parexel and MyEyeDr. will partner on recruitment of patients for a wide variety of ophthalmology indications, including Macular Degeneration, one of the leading causes of visual disability worldwide. By leveraging MyEyeDr.’s 850+ offices across 28 states, the companies will be able to disseminate information directly to the types of patients needed for ophthalmology studies with opportunities for expansion into other adjacent therapeutic areas. MyEyeDr. is owned by Capital Vision Services, LP, which manages independently-owned optometry practices operating under the trade name MyEyeDr.

Under the agreement, MyEyeDr. will be part of Parexel’s Community Alliance Network, a novel program launched in June further integrating clinical research into the community healthcare setting to better serve patients and in turn create further opportunity for increased diversity in clinical trials. MyEyeDr joins CVS Health^®, the leading health care solutions company, and Javara, the leading Integrated Research Organization, as members of the network.

“Part of providing our patients with the best vision and healthcare means making them aware of all possible treatment options, including clinical research,” said Artis Beatty, O.D., Chief Medical Officer, MyEyeDr. “We’re excited to partner with Parexel — MyEyeDr.’s first collaboration with a CRO — to share the option of clinical trial participation with our community of patients.”

About Capital Vision Services, LP
Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Vienna, VA, Capital Vision Services, LP manages independently owned optometry practices which operate under the trade name MyEyeDr. and are recognized leaders in full scope optometry and personalized optical services.

Capital Vision Services is the nation’s largest and most experienced practice management services company with the goal of protecting independent optometry. The purchasing power, industry leverage and administrative expertise of Capital Vision Services directly benefits individual practices. This places the individual practices in the unique, competitive position of focusing solely on the delivery of personalized eyecare by trusted community doctors and knowledgeable local staff.

About Parexel
Parexel is among the world’s largest clinical research organizations (CROs), providing the full range of Phase I to IV clinical development services to help life-saving treatments reach patients faster. Leveraging the breadth of our clinical, regulatory and therapeutic expertise, our team of more than 21,000 global professionals collaborates with biopharmaceutical leaders, emerging innovators and sites to design and deliver clinical trials with patients in mind, increasing access and participation to make clinical research a care option for anyone, anywhere. Our depth of industry knowledge and strong track record gained over the past 40 years is moving the industry forward and advancing clinical research in healthcare’s most complex areas, while our innovation ecosystem offers the best solutions to make every phase of the clinical trial process more efficient. With the people, insight and focus on operational excellence, we work With Heart™ every day to treat patients with dignity and continuously learn from their experiences, so every trial makes a difference. For more information, visit parexel.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.