Faro today announced a collaboration with Bristol Myers Squibb to standardize on Faro’s digital protocol platform as the system of record for structured protocol design across its drug development organization.
This multi-year deployment establishes a structured digital protocol foundation designed to support the safe and scalable use of agentic AI across design, drafting, validation, and optimization workflows. The initiative reflects a broader industry shift from document-based development processes to structured, data-centric operating models.
As clinical trial protocols continue to grow in complexity, development organizations face increasing pressure to improve feasibility, reduce amendments, and shorten cycle times. Traditional document-centric approaches can limit visibility into cross-functional dependencies and make systematic validation challenging. By embedding structure directly into the protocol at the point of creation, BMS is implementing a more consistent and governed framework for study design that provides the infrastructure required to operationalize AI at scale.
Faro’s platform converts narrative protocol design elements, such as objectives and endpoints, or the SoA, into structured digital assets aligned to corporate standards and industry frameworks. Within this foundation, AI agents can execute defined tasks with traceability and human oversight, such as:
- Simulating schedule of activities and assessing potential site and patient burden
- Quantifying and mitigating protocol complexity, allowing for mitigation of operational risks and potential amendment drivers prior to study launch
- Validating internal consistency across study design elements and supporting documents
- Benchmarking protocol characteristics against industry standards, including the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development (CSDD) framework
- Drafting protocol sections based on structured inputs and established standards
The enterprise deployment spans global development teams and supports both early- and late-phase programs. Results from early implementation across several late-stage programs indicate that BMS can accelerate timelines, improve quality and increase probability of technical success through streamlined, patient-centric protocols that eliminate unnecessary procedures and provide real-time optimization insights.
“Scaling AI in clinical development starts with structured data,” said Scott Chetham, CEO and co-founder of Faro. “Digital protocols provide the foundation required to apply AI consistently, transparently, and at enterprise scale. We are proud to support BMS in advancing this shift.”
“Our focus is on using AI and digital tools to improve how we design and run clinical trials — so we can learn faster, maintain quality, and bring transformative medicines to patients sooner,” said Bryan Campbell, Senior Vice President, Drug Development Strategy and Innovation, Bristol Myers Squibb. “By standardizing on Faro’s digital protocol platform, we’ll have the structured foundation to scale AI-enabled workflows responsibly across our development programs.”
About Faro
Faro provides a digital protocol platform that serves as a structured foundation for modern clinical development. By replacing document-based processes with standardized digital protocols, Faro enables pharmaceutical and biotechnology organizations to improve study feasibility, reduce rework and amendment risk, and deploy AI agents at scale across the entire clinical development process. The platform supports greater consistency, operational oversight, and efficiency from initial design through trial execution. For more information, visit farohealth.com.
Media Contact
Vivian DeWoskin
Chief Commercial Officer, Faro
vivian.dewoskin@farohealth.com
