This issue is about the shaping, delivery and future of clinical trials – the exciting dawn of a new era for how therapies reach the marketplace. We cover the influence of digital, the radical shift in trial design and, above all, the need to incorporate patients at every stage. We’ve also got a review of our International Clinical Researcher of the Year bash – an unforgettable 25th edition of the enduring event. In addition, this issue looks at the influence of Florence Nightingale as an ace healthcare communicator, the future of unlicenced meds and the emerging involvement of AI across the life sciences.