Expanding the Alimentiv Site Network: An Interview With Peter Westerveld

Peter Westerveld, Alimentiv Site Network (ASN) Director

The Alimentiv Site Network (ASN) is our worldwide network of gastrointestinal (GI) centers that collaborate with us. With an established global reputation for high-quality monitoring services, we offer full-service clinical trial support for diverse GI indications and participate in key academic initiatives led by our medical experts and KOLs. We foster unique relationships with our investigators and sites, collaborating on varied projects that span commercial clinical trials, investigator-initiated studies, imaging-only projects, and more. We meticulously select sites with proven capabilities and experience to conduct our clinical trials and research activities, ensuring optimal alignment between the site and the specific protocol.

Our ASN team regularly connects with our investigators through site visits and conferences to stay informed about their latest research interests and capabilities.

With a presence in over 60 countries and 5,000+ sites, our unique and expansive global network ensures rapid study activation and maximizes patient enrollment. We’re thrilled to announce that Australia is now an integral part of our studies, further strengthening our reach.

The Alimentiv Site Network is overseen by Peter Westerveld who has worked in the pharmaceutical and CRO industry for more than 20 years as (Lead) CRA, Project Manager, CRA manager, and Manager of Monitoring and Site Management. During his career, Peter has visited more than 75 sites in 20 different countries.

We had the opportunity to chat with Peter about his firsthand experience with the Alimentiv site network expansion in Australia.

How did expansion into Australia begin?

On May 8th, 2023, I set off on a great personal and professional adventure across Australia, traveling from Sydney to Brisbane to Melbourne to Adelaide and back. During my travels, I met with over 20 GI investigators and their research teams across the country to discuss current and future collaborations, learned about the GI clinical trial landscape in Australia, visited clients and partners, and even selected our first Alimentiv hire in the country.

What were your impressions regarding the GI clinical trial landscape in Australia?

It was a great experience seeing the enthusiasm and dedication of local GI investigators and their interest in Alimentiv. Given that Australia has one of the highest incidences of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in the world, there is a lot of interest in developing better treatments for these patients. I was impressed with the number of hospitals and investigators actively running clinical trials, both in international, as well as local investigator-initiated study settings. The collaborative spirit between the investigators was clear, and it supported our case that Australia is a prime location for Alimentiv to expand its clinical trials.

Can you tell us about how Alimentiv Australia went from those initial conversations to where it is now, a year later?

Chris Dunk (Director, Therapeutic Center of Excellence) took the reins after my initial trip and met with many more GI investigators and potential clients. Chris and I were both amazed that we kept getting referrals, and our network just kept growing!

Fast forward more than a year, and Alimentiv Australia is now firmly established, with the majority of our international studies including sites in Australia, three Alimentiv staff members hired in the country, and an Australian legal entity established. It’s been incredibly rewarding to see the efforts of Chris, myself, and others, pay off. I believe it’s a testament to the great effect personal outreach can have. The Alimentiv Site Network team is using this “Australia model” as a blueprint for expanding into other regions, and Australia is a great hub for Alimentiv to build more connections across the Asia-Pacific region.

Alimentiv supports studies for a wide-range of GI indications, including: 

References

Alatab, S. et al. (2020) ‘The global, regional, and national burden of inflammatory bowel disease in 195 countries and territories, 1990–2017: A system