ARPA-H launches SURPASS to speed and modernize clinical trials

ARPA-H, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, announced SURPASS on September 30, 2026. The five-year initiative aims to redesign clinical trials so promising drugs and biologics can be evaluated faster, at lower cost, and with fewer participants.

SURPASS proposes combining predictive computational models, shared trial infrastructure, common control groups, and real-time analysis in continuous, adaptive platform trials. ARPA-H says its longer-term goal is to help reduce clinical development timelines from more than a decade to under four years.

The program will pursue three areas:
simulation tools—including digital twins—to design trials; continuous analysis to support timely decisions and trial adaptations; and AI-enabled operational tools to automate tasks such as trial start-up and data collection.

Three complementary efforts are intended to support the broader trial system:
STACK to expand and activate clinical sites, COMMONS to develop privacy-focused data and consent infrastructure, and CINCH to help patients contribute real-world data and navigate care and trial options.

ARPA-H scheduled an informational webinar for October 15, 2026. Solution summaries are due November 30, 2026, and full proposals are due January 22, 2027. The initial announcement did not specify the program’s funding amount.