Every day, our teams make decisions that shape the safety, quality, and meaning of early-phase research in metabolic diseases. These decisions are not merely operational; they involve ethics and our values. At its core, clinical research is an act of trust. Participants entrust us with their health, sponsors entrust us with their programs, and regulators entrust us with the integrity of the data that informs care.
Our guiding question is simple yet profound: Are we doing what is right?
Ethics First: The Responsibility Behind Every Data Point
Ethics is the starting line of every ProSciento study. It determines how knowledge is generated and why that knowledge can be trusted. Our responsibility goes beyond compliance or good intentions. It is a duty to ensure that the data we produce accurately reflects the biological and clinical realities we seek to understand.
Ethics is defined not by what we avoid, but by the choices we actively make. It requires choosing rigor over convenience, transparency over expediency, and accuracy over speed. It means designing studies that respect participants’ time and safety, and reporting outcomes honestly, even when results are complex or unexpected.
The Chain That Builds Trust
In early-phase research, credibility is earned through a consistent and visible connection between five elements:
- Ethics guides intention by asking the right questions and conducting research responsibly.
- Scientific rigor applies validated methods to answer those questions thoroughly.
- Data integrity safeguards accuracy, transparency, and reproducibility.
- Credible conclusions follow evidence rather than assumption.
- Trust from patients, sponsors, and regulators depends on the strength of every link.
When one element fails, the entire scientific enterprise is weakened.
Patient-Centered by Design
At ProSciento, patient-centeredness is practiced, not proclaimed.
From protocol design to visit scheduling, we balance scientific ambition with participant feasibility. We minimize unnecessary burden while maintaining robust evidence, engaging participants as partners in the advancement of knowledge.
Respect is expressed in the details, including well-timed visit windows, clear consent processes, and study designs that value each participant’s contribution. Ethical science is measurable in these choices. Adjusting study logistics to reduce participant burden while preserving objectives reflects this commitment.
Transparency as Standard Practice
Mistakes can happen in research. What defines integrity is how an organization responds.
At ProSciento, transparency is our default. When errors occur, we address them openly, analyze root causes, correct courses, and share lessons learned across teams. Concealment erodes trust. Openness strengthens it.
This culture of transparency strengthens regulatory confidence, sponsor partnerships, and, most importantly, participant trust. Accountability sometimes requires difficult decisions before a study ever begins.
The Courage to Say No
Ethics sometimes requires restraint.
We have declined studies when proposed designs risked biased results, insufficient power, or participant discomfort. We have advised sponsors to modify methodologies rather than compromise scientific integrity. These are not easy choices, but they are the right ones.
Integrity is not proven by what we accept. It is demonstrated by what we refuse to compromise.
Values That Drive Conduct
Our corporate values are not aspirational statements. They are operational directives that guide how research is conducted.
- Always looking for a better way: We challenge assumptions and refine methodologies to strengthen data quality.
- Taking ownership: We act with accountability, addressing deviations proactively and communicating early.
- Working with each other, not beside each other: Cross-functional collaboration across Medical Sciences, Operations, Biostatistics, Regulatory, and Patient and Site Services enables ethical and feasible studies.
- Living our values when it is challenging: Under pressure, we prioritize rigor over speed and accuracy over convenience.
- Building a sustainable community: We invest in participant relationships, site partnerships, and professional mentorship to foster a research ecosystem grounded in respect and longevity.
These values form the behavioral framework for ethical science in action.
Embedding Ethics in Daily Practice
Values matter only when they are translated into daily action. Culture is sustained by everyday behavior.
In practice, this culture is reflected in behaviors such as:
- Verifying data before submission
- Pausing to confirm details when uncertain
- Raising concerns early, regardless of hierarchy
- Recommending changes that improve participant experience or data quality
- Recording and communicating updates with precision
- Asking for clarity rather than assuming certainty
When these disciplines become habits, integrity becomes automatic.
Ethics as a Competitive Advantage
The field of metabolic research demands more than technical expertise. It demands credibility.
Our specialization in obesity, diabetes, and related metabolic conditions comes with heightened scrutiny, and rightly so. The path to innovation must pass through ethical stewardship. ProSciento’s reputation has been built on that premise. Our science is trusted because our process is principled.
Ethics is both a moral compass and a strategic advantage. It builds enduring partnerships, accelerates regulatory trust, and ensures that the discoveries we enable stand the test of time.
Doing Right, Not Just Doing Well
The spirit of research at ProSciento is grounded in purpose.
We pursue knowledge not for its own sake, but to advance human health responsibly. Doing what is right is not always the easiest or fastest path. It is the path that ensures our work remains worthy of the trust placed in us.
Ethics first. Rigor always. Patients at the center.
That is, and will always be, the ProSciento way.
Author:
Marcus Hompesch, MD — Chief Executive Officer, ProSciento, Inc.
Published February 11, 2026