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Precision for Medicine
Press Release

FDA Veteran Paz Vellanki, MD, joins Precision to become one of 3 ex-FDA oncology leaders supporting clients

Autoimmune and Inflammation CRO Services for the Precision era

Read and decode the immune system with confidence

Precision combines established autoimmune experience with biomarker-led development, connecting clinical execution, translational science and specialty labs. Together, these capabilities reveal the biology behind the outcome and help sponsors read the signals shaping what comes next.

Over 20 years of Precision. Right on time for autoimmune drug development.

Built to integrate biomarker science and clinical development from the start, our established autoimmune experience in the lab and deep expertise in precision medicine clinical studies for oncology and rare diseases are crucial to autoimmune development now. New targeted therapies demand greater integration of clinical, laboratory and translational expertise.

400
Autoimmune projects
70
Clinical operations studies
61
International studies
40
Autoimmune studies using proprietary cell phenotyping technology

Clinical outcomes are only part of the picture.

Understanding whether a therapy worked is only the first question. Precision connects clinical execution with the evidence needed to reveal mechanism, response and durability.

 

  • Start with the development decision

    Start with the development decision

    Define what the study needs to establish, from mechanism to clinical activity, durability and progression.
  • Read the biology

    Read the biology

    Build the immune, inflammatory and pathway-specific evidence needed to understand what sits behind the clinical outcome.

  • Generate the right evidence

    Generate the right evidence

    Align samples, assays and endpoints from the outset so the evidence is there when you need to interpret it.

  • Protect the evidence

    Protect the evidence

    Connect sites, sample logistics and operational execution to protect the integrity of the evidence from collection to interpretation.

Deep experience where autoimmune research is moving.

Our strategic focus spans rheumatology and systemic autoimmune drug development, supported by broader experience across selected immune-mediated diseases.

Rheumatology and systemic autoimmuneBroader autoimmune and immune-mediated experience
  • Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
  • Lupus/Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
  • Psoriatic arthritis (PsA)
  • Ankylosing spondylitis (AS)
  • Sjögren’s disease
  • Myasthenia gravis (MG)
  • Multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Immune-mediated dermatologic diseases
  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)

CAR-T. The questions get even more specific.

Autoimmune CAR-T brings new layers of biology to decipher, from depletion and immune reconstitution to product persistence, inflammatory response and safety.

Precision connects site and infusion readiness, safety oversight, sample strategy, immune monitoring and molecular tracking around the specific demands of the therapy.

Discuss an advanced therapy program >
14

Advanced therapy projects since 2020


CAR-T • CAR-Treg • TCR • iNK-T and more. 

An integrated autoimmune development model. Grounded in immune science.

When immune biology is central to development, clinical, translational and operational decisions need to work together. Precision connects the expertise needed to generate, protect and interpret the evidence.

  • Explore
    clinical-trial-services

    Clinical Execution

    Build the biology into the trial.

    Clinical development and trial delivery connected with the biological evidence the study needs to generate.

    Explore
    clinical-trial-services

    Clinical Execution

    Build the biology into the trial.

    Clinical development and trial delivery connected with the biological evidence the study needs to generate.

    Explore
  • Explore
    Immune-monitoring

    Translational Sciences and Specialty Labs

    Read the immune system. Don’t just run a panel.

    Immune monitoring and translational strategies designed around the specific biological questions of the program.

    Explore
    Immune-monitoring

    Translational Sciences and Specialty Labs

    Read the immune system. Don’t just run a panel.

    Immune monitoring and translational strategies designed around the specific biological questions of the program.

    Explore
  • Explore
    Data science

    Clinical Logistics and Sample Strategy

    You can’t decipher what you didn’t collect.

    Sample collection, processing and logistics planned around the evidence the study needs to preserve.

    Explore
    Data science

    Clinical Logistics and Sample Strategy

    You can’t decipher what you didn’t collect.

    Sample collection, processing and logistics planned around the evidence the study needs to preserve.

    Explore
  • Explore
    Medical and regulatory services

    Medical and Regulatory Expertise

    See the implications from every angle.

    Clinical, rheumatology, safety and regulatory perspectives integrated into development planning.

    Explore
    Medical and regulatory services

    Medical and Regulatory Expertise

    See the implications from every angle.

    Clinical, rheumatology, safety and regulatory perspectives integrated into development planning.

    Explore

Autoimmune expertise across clinical development and translational science.

Meet the clinical, scientific and operational leaders bringing specialist autoimmune expertise to Precision’s integrated approach.

  • Deb Phippard

    Deborah Phippard, PhD

    Chief Scientific Officer

  • Kader Gedik

    Kader Gedik, MD

    Medical Director, Autoimmune

  • Joy Carson

    Joy Carson

    Vice President, Autoimmune Strategy

  • Adrienne Stoudenmire

    Adrienne Stoudenmire

    Vice President, Project Management

  • Advanced biomarker capabilities designed to meet the needs of autoimmune trials

    For autoimmune indications, a fit-for-purpose plan can combine immune-cell dynamics, cytokine/chemokine profiles, receptor occupancy with PK/PD relationships, and tissue signatures to build a credible differentiation story. 

  • Explore flowcytometry-icon

    Flow Cytometry

    Standard and spectral flow cytometry, on both research-grade and CLIA-validated instruments
  • Explore tissue

    Tissue Biopsy Analysis

    Support for all aspects of tissue biopsy analysis, including sample collection, a repository of 3M+ FFPE samples, global locations, and digital pathology solutions
  • Explore Cytokine

    Autoimmune Biospecimens

    Inventory of a wide range of biospecimens including tissues, PBMCs and more

  • Explore Assays

    ELISpot & Fluorospot

    ELISpot and FluoroSpot - including custom assays in support of gene therapy immunogenicity - from preclinical through clinical development

  • Explore Clinical logistics

    Clinical Logistics Services

    Custom kitting, sample logistics, PBMC processing, and biostorage to meet the complex needs of autoimmune studies

 

Autoimmune trial strategies that turn complexity into progress

Explore three real-world case studies demonstrating how thoughtful planning, disciplined execution, and flexible trial delivery helped sponsors navigate complex rare disease and autoimmune clinical programs.

Frequently asked questions

What challenges do biomarker-heavy autoimmune trials introduce, and how can they be addressed?

Biomarker-driven autoimmune trials introduce additional complexity beyond standard clinical execution.

Common challenges include:

  • Coordinating sample collection, handling, and processing across global sites

  • Ensuring assay selection and validation align with study goals

  • Managing variability in immune measurements across time and patients

  • Interpreting high-dimensional data in a clinically meaningful way

Addressing these challenges typically depends on having:

  • A well-defined sample and assay strategy tied to the protocol

  • Tight integration between clinical operations and laboratory workflows

  • Translational expertise to connect data outputs to clinical endpoints

Without this coordination, biomarker-rich trials can generate large amounts of data, but limited actionable insight.

When does it make sense to use an integrated CRO and specialty lab model in autoimmune development?

An integrated CRO + specialty lab model is most valuable when biomarker data directly influences how a trial is conducted or interpreted. This is often the case in:

  • Early- and mid-stage trials where mechanism and pharmacodynamics are still being defined

  • Programs requiring patient stratification or enrichment strategies

  • Studies with complex immune monitoring requirements

  • Indications where clinical endpoints alone are insufficient for differentiation

In these settings, separating clinical execution from laboratory and translational work can create gaps in communication, timing, and data interpretation. An integrated model can help ensure that:

  • Biomarker decisions are reflected in protocol design

  • Sample logistics and assay execution align with study timelines

  • Data is interpreted within the context of the trial—not in isolation

What should sponsors look for in a CRO supporting CAR‑T therapies in autoimmune diseases?

CAR‑T and related cell therapies are emerging as promising approaches in autoimmune disease, but they introduce new levels of complexity in clinical development. Sponsors evaluating CRO partners for these programs should consider:

  • Experience with both cell and gene therapy trial execution and autoimmune indications

  • Capability to look for and identify persistence, response, and safety signals

  • Integration between clinical operations and specialty lab services

  • Ability to manage complex workflows, including biospecimens, sample logistics, and assay strategy

Because CAR‑T therapies rely heavily on understanding immune response over time, successful programs often depend on partners who can connect clinical execution with deep immunological insight. Precision for Medicine has supported more than 30 CAR‑T–related projects, helping sponsors design and execute programs where immune monitoring and translational understanding are critical to trial success.

Autoimmune decoded

Explore the evidence from every angle.

All Resources
  • Brochure

    Autoimmune Decoded. Precision-era Medicine, Now in Autoimmune Mode

    Download Brochure
    Autoimmune Decoded. Precision-era Medicine, Now in Autoimmune Mode
  • Brochure

    Translational and Biomarker Sciences: Enabling Breakthroughs

    Download Brochure
    Translational and Biomarker Sciences: Enabling Breakthroughs
  • Case Study

    Developing and Validating Clinical Receptor Occupancy Pharmacodynamic Biomarker Assays

    Download Case Study
    Developing and Validating Clinical Receptor Occupancy Pharmacodynamic Biomarker Assays
  • Case Study

    Use of Epiontis ID® to support understanding therapeutic efficacy in a phase 2 psoriasis trial

    Download Case Study
    Use of Epiontis ID® to support understanding therapeutic efficacy in a phase 2 psoriasis trial
Deb Phippard
Deborah Phippard, PhD

Chief Scientific Officer

Pharma industry veteran and expert at biomarker-driven clinical trial design and execution. Leader of biomarker and drug development programs for pharmaceutical and diagnostics companies, as well as the National Institutes of Health. Spearheaded the discovery of pharmacodynamic biomarkers and novel targets for inflammatory disease therapy.

Kader Gedik
Kader Gedik, MD

Medical Director, Autoimmune

Physician-scientist and pediatric rheumatologist with expertise in rare and complex immune-mediated, autoimmune, and autoinflammatory diseases, as well as translational immunology. Former NIH Associate Investigator with over a decade of clinical rheumatology experience spanning patient care, clinical research, and translational science. Draws on leadership roles in NIH-funded translational research, investigator-led studies, and international multidisciplinary collaborations to support the development of innovative autoimmune therapies.

Joy Carson
Joy Carson

Vice President, Autoimmune Strategy

Industry veteran with more than 30 years of global experience in clinical research across academia, sponsors, government programs, and CROs. Expertise in designing and managing Phase 1–4 drug and diagnostic trials, portfolio governance, project leader mentoring, and financial oversight. Proven leadership in oncology, infectious, neurodegenerative, and rare diseases. Strong track record in building multidisciplinary teams and engaging with key opinion leaders and advocacy groups. Experienced in pharmaceutical, biologic, device, gene therapy, and marketing trials, with IND, NDA, PMA, and 510(k) submission experience.

Adrienne Stoudenmire
Adrienne Stoudenmire

Vice President, Project Management

A seasoned clinical research executive with 20+ years of experience across global project delivery, therapeutic operations, and organizational strategy. Currently serving as Vice President of Project Management at Precision for Medicine, a science-driven CRO specializing in Oncology, Autoimmune, and rare diseases-where I provide executive oversight of global programs and bring a more integrated, scientifically anchored approach to customized operational delivery, further complimenting my fully comprehensive therapeutic area leadership background.