University–Industry Relations in Clinical Trials

University–industry (UI) collaboration plays a vital role in clinical trials, bridging basic, translational, and clinical research to advance scientific discoveries into real-world healthcare applications. This partnership is distinct because biopharmaceutical and medical device companies rely on clinical trial data to obtain regulatory approval for their investigational products. Unlike traditional sponsored research, which aims to generate generalizable knowledge, clinical trials function more as a “work-for-hire” model, where the primary goal is to collect high-quality data in exchange for remuneration. While this perspective may seem transactional, the collaboration between universities and industry extends beyond financial incentives. It fosters critical expertise in study design, execution, and data analysis, ultimately aiming to generate robust evidence confirming the safety and efficacy of investigational drugs, interventions, devices, or procedures. Each year we get closer to finding treatment options for the rarest of diseases to the most widely occurring conditions. Without clinical trials, the development of some of the best-selling, health-transforming products that significantly impact global health challenges, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer would not have been possible.