Why City of Hope Built a National Clinical Trials Platform Designed to Scale With Oncology Innovation

By Edward S. Kim, M.D., M.B.A., City of Hope clinical trials system director; vice physician-in-chief, City of Hope National Medical Center

Clinical trials drive the future of cancer care. They advance therapeutic science, establish new standards and translate discovery into real-world impact. As the oncology community reflects on the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting, one priority stands out. The success of clinical trials increasingly depends on execution at scale, including how effectively they reach patients, how efficiently studies open and how consistently they perform.

City of Hope has built a national clinical trials model designed to meet those demands. 

Over the past several years, City of Hope has established a fully integrated clinical trials system spanning 39 sites across four states, anchored by five cancer centers in Los Angeles, Orange County, Phoenix, Chicago and Atlanta. This network operates as a single enterprise, aligned through shared governance, standardized infrastructure and coordinated clinical leadership.

A unified operating model for modern oncology trials

City of Hope’s national clinical trials system is structured around speed, scale and reliability – three priorities that matter most to biotechnology and pharmaceutical partners. 

Core trial functions operate through centralized system teams, including regulatory affairs, budgeting and contracting, trial activation, financial management, quality oversight, monitoring and study coordination. Multisite trials function through a single institutional review board structure, budget and contract, supporting efficient activation across state lines. Investigators place studies once and execute them across the system, supported by consistent operational standards and experienced teams.

This design produces measurable results. Multistate trials at City of Hope reach first‑patient consent in as few as 11 days post activation, with first patient accrual often achieved within 30 days. These timelines reflect infrastructure built for readiness and sustained execution.

Performance is reflected in enrollment. In fiscal year 2025, City of Hope accrued about 1,400 patients to interventional treatment studies, the highest annual total in the organization’s history. In April 2026, the system enrolled more than 170 patients in a single month, setting a new record. Today, City of Hope supports nearly 800 active clinical studies across its national footprint.

Growth across newer markets continues as sites integrate into the centralized model. Since 2023, interventional study portfolios expanded significantly across Atlanta, Chicago and Phoenix, with enrollment increasing alongside portfolio growth.

For sponsors advancing complex oncology programs, this model supports predictable activation, disciplined execution and sustained accrual at national scale.

A national platform designed for partnership and access

City of Hope’s system serves communities across four states and reaches approximately 86 million people who live within 90 minutes of a City of Hope clinical site. This footprint enables sponsors to engage broad patient populations while maintaining centralized oversight and operational consistency across sites.

The value of this approach is evident in clinical delivery. A recent Phase 2 gastric and esophageal cancer study reached activation across nine sites in multiple states within 50 days through City of Hope’s rapid activation program. As patients’ needs evolved, system teams coordinated across sites and worked with partners to support safe administration, continuity and compliance.

Technology supports this national approach. Hope Pathways, a cloud‑based platform deployed across the system, provides clinicians with real‑time visibility into active trials across all City of Hope locations. Providers identify relevant studies efficiently, supporting timely referral and enrollment. The platform continues to expand with enhanced trial‑matching capabilities that support portfolio awareness and clinical decision‑making at scale.

Cancer research continues to evolve, with increasing complexity in study design, therapeutic modalities and patient selection. 

For biotech innovators advancing novel science, City of Hope’s national clinical trials model offers sponsors a platform built to move programs forward with speed, consistency and the operational discipline required to scale discovery into impact.