ICT Ep29: Feasibility is Broken: Maya Zlatanova on Redesigning Feasibility

Welcome to Innovating Clinical Trials, the podcast where Liam and Ted explore the evolving landscape of clinical research and challenge the assumptions holding it back. In this episode, we sit down with Maya Zlatanova — CEO of TrialHub and FindMeCure, and host of Trials with Maya Z — for a no-nonsense look at one of the most misunderstood concepts in research: feasibility.Episode Overview:Maya takes us deep into the hidden layers of clinical trial feasibility, arguing that what most of the industry calls "feasibility" is really just site contracting in disguise. Instead, she introduces a broader, patient-aligned view that incorporates standard of care, access, and real-world motivation. We discuss:How clinical trials often fail because they ignore the healthcare systems patients actually live inWhy standard of care varies country to country — and how that affects recruitment and retentionThe painful disconnect between pharma’s incentives and patients’ realityWhy relying on investigators alone leads to blind spotsHow AI and emerging tech can streamline feasibility, but only if paired with real-world insightAnd why hope, as Maya bluntly reminds us, is not a strategyThis is an unflinching and inspiring conversation about why better feasibility planning isn’t just a project task — it’s the foundation for better trials, faster development, and ultimately, better care.