Everest Clinical Research and the Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA) Announce Biostatistics Partnership to Advance Research in Friedreich’s Ataxia

TORONTO and PHILADELPHIA — February 27, 2026 —Everest Clinical Research and the Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA) today announced a partnership focused on making patient-centered Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) data more accessible and actionable to help accelerate the development of treatments for FA.

As part of the collaboration, Everest Clinical Research will serve as a biostatistics partner for the FA Global Clinical Consortium (FA GCC). The FA GCC has built one of the most comprehensive collections of patient data in Friedreich’s ataxia, including longitudinal, clinical, biomarker, and outcomes data collected from patients worldwide. Through this initiative, Everest will provide independent biostatistical expertise to FA GCC members—including biopharma companies and academic researchers—helping translate data into meaningful insights that inform clinical trial design and therapeutic development.

“The path to therapeutics for patients with rare diseases—such as Friedreich’s ataxia—runs through data,” said Jin Dai, CEO at Everest Clinical Research. “With industry leading biostatistics, statistical programming, and clinical data management, Everest is well positioned to help FARA and biopharma companies translate the FA GCC’s vast data resources into actionable insights—and, ultimately, progress toward a cure for FA.”

Friedreich’s ataxia is a life-shortening, degenerative, neuromuscular disease that affects approximately 15,000 individuals worldwide.¹ With just one U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved therapy in people age 16 and older to slow disease progression, there is still unmet medical need for individuals living with FA.

“For more than two decades, the FA community has contributed natural history data through the FA GCC, resulting in a robust and invaluable research dataset,” said Jen Farmer, CEO of FARA. “Our partnership with Everest Clinical Research expands our capabilities as stewards of the data and enables the translation of these data into insights that meaningfully guide and enhance clinical trial design and execution — bringing us closer to additional therapies that slow, stop, and reverse FA.”

About Everest Clinical Research

Everest Clinical Research is a data-first, full-service contract research organization delivering integrated clinical and biometrics expertise across the development lifecycle. Founded more than 20 years ago as a biometrics-focused organization, Everest approaches clinical execution with a rigorous understanding that trial success depends on high-quality, well-managed data.

Everest employs more than 750 professionals globally, with offices across North America, Europe and Asia. The company has experience in a range of therapeutic areas, including oncology, central nervous system (CNS) disorders, rare diseases, immunology, and metabolic diseases. Everest is recognized for its commitment to quality and its close collaboration with clients—achieving a 95% client approval rate.

For more information, visit www.everestclinical.com.

About FARA

The Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to curing Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) through research. FARA grants and activities provide support for basic and translational FA research, pharmaceutical/biotech drug development, clinical trials, and scientific conferences. FARA also serves as a catalyst, between the public and scientific community, to create worldwide exchanges of information that drive medical advances. For more information about FARA, visit curefa.org.  

Sources

1. Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance. What-is-friedreichs-ataxia. https://www.curefa.org/understanding-fa/what-is-friedreichs-ataxia/