The life sciences industry is widely known to be a slow adopter of innovation due to regulatory and patient safety considerations. As a result, clinical trials have remained notoriously expensive, lengthy and complex – to such a degree that the current clinical development research model has become an obstacle to the creation of safe, costeffective therapies. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, the tortoise became the hare because of the way in which the pandemic accelerated the modernization of clinical development (see sidebar, Elements of Clinical Trial Modernization). For example, the pandemic played a major role in accelerating digital transformation and more widespread adoption of innovative approaches, such as decentralized clinical trials for the development of new vaccines.