Kroger Health, the healthcare division of the large grocery chain, has announced the launch of its clinical trial site network.
The company said it will work with trial sponsors, contract research organizations and health systems to conduct clinical trials out of select Kroger pharmacies and clinics. It will also use virtual care and digital health tools to ensure patients stay enrolled in clinical trials.
The announcement comes with Kroger's first trial in active recruitment for colorectal cancer gut and immune health observation.
In collaboration with Persephone Biosciences, Kroger Health is actively recruiting for the ARGONAUT clinical study to identify microbiome-based biomarkers indicative of colorectal cancer. Select Kroger pharmacies and its affiliate, The Little Clinic, locations will enroll its initial cohort of 55 people with a variety of colorectal cancer risk levels to advance the understanding of gut and immune health. During the next year, Kroger Health plans to enroll additional participants and increase its locations.
Kroger Health is seeking participants with the following risk factors:
Age 45 and older who need their standard of care colonoscopy.
Age 18 or older with one or more first-degree relatives with a history of colorectal cancer.
Those with three or more polyps found during a colonoscopy or who have a history of colorectal cancer.
"With our team of more than 24,000 healthcare professionals, under the umbrella of America's grocer, we are positioned at the nexus of food and healthcare, which provides us with the unique opportunity to increase access to clinical trial opportunities," said Colleen Lindholz, Kroger Health president. "As a trusted community healthcare destination, we envision a future where our work transforms the clinical trial landscape and provides expanded trial access to the people we serve."
Kroger Health joins the group of traditional retailers like Amazon, Walgreens and CVS who launched their own clinical trial offerings to improve access and diversity in clinical research.
Earlier in 2022, Walmart announced the launch of the Walmart Healthcare Research Institute to address clinical trial diversity, aiming to improve community access to trials for traditionally underrepresented populations.
In 2022, Walgreens also stepped into the clinical trials space, stating that it would use both in-person and virtual care as well as technology resources to execute studies.
In 2021, CVS Health announced its Clinical Trial Services business, which would work to recruit patients, help run studies and generate real-world evidence. It also announced a partnership with decentralized clinical trial company Medable to power its services.
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