Thyroid Eye Disease clinical trial recruitment, proven at scale: 180+ patients enrolled across 10+ TED studies in 10 countries.

Leapcure is the most-proven recruitment partner in TED, built on 30+ advocacy partnerships, 100+ ophthalmologists engaged, and global reach across 10 countries. We deliver enrollment-ready patients to your sites, not referrals over the fence.

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42%
Of all enrollments delivered
on our most recent TED study
9 of 13
US sites enrolled Leapcure patients
100% of enrollments at two of them
4 of 5
Leapcure patients eligible for screening
referral quality, not raw volume
13%
Screen-fail rate outside the US
versus 47% in-US

Understanding Thyroid Eye Disease as a Clinical Trial Indication

Thyroid eye disease (TED), also called Graves' orbitopathy or thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy, is an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks the muscles and soft tissue behind the eye. It is the most common manifestation of Graves' disease outside the thyroid and develops in roughly 20 to 25 percent of people who have it. Symptoms range from eyelid retraction, redness, and dry, gritty eyes to proptosis (bulging eyes), double vision, and, in the most severe cases, optic-nerve compression that threatens sight. TED is rare, with an estimated prevalence of 90 to 305 per 100,000 and an annual incidence of about 16 per 100,000 in women and 3 per 100,000 in men. It runs an active, inflammatory phase that typically lasts one to three years before stabilizing, and that active window is when most trials need to enroll. Smoking is the strongest modifiable risk factor and roughly doubles the risk of progression.

For sponsors, TED is a narrow and competitive indication. Disease is mild in about 77 percent of patients, moderate-to-severe in about 22 percent, and sight-threatening in about 1 percent, so the patients most protocols need are a small slice of an already rare population. Most studies must enroll during the active phase, which compresses the recruitment window further. Since teprotumumab (Tepezza) became the first FDA-approved TED therapy in 2020, patient awareness and expectations have risen, and access to approved therapy remains uneven across regions, which shapes both patient sentiment and where eligible, treatment-appropriate patients can be found. Eligible patients also cluster at a limited number of oculoplastic, neuro-ophthalmology, and endocrinology centers, where studies compete for the same referrals.

Leapcure recruits the TED patients these protocols actually need. We combine the deepest advocacy network in the space, direct engagement with ophthalmologists and ocular surgeons, and precision digital outreach, and we pre-screen every referral before it reaches a site. Across 10+ TED studies we have enrolled 180+ patients in 10 countries, reached more than 21,000 TED patients, engaged 100+ ophthalmologists, and built 30+ TED advocacy partnerships. On our most recent TED study, Leapcure delivered 42 percent of all enrollments, the sponsor reached its randomization goal 12 days early, and 4 of 5 Leapcure patients were deemed eligible for screening. Outside the US, where access to approved therapy is limited, we reached untapped eligible populations at a screen-fail rate of 13 percent versus 47 percent in the US.

The Challenge

TED recruitment is a timing problem as much as a reach problem. The eligible population is small, the active-phase window is short, and the patients who fit cluster at a handful of competing specialist centers.

The active-phase enrollment window is short and unforgiving

TED's active, inflammatory phase typically lasts only one to three years, and most protocols require patients enrolled during it. Once the disease stabilizes, a patient is no longer eligible, so timing, not just reach, is the core recruitment problem. Campaigns that take months to ramp lose patients to the clock.

Across 10+ TED studies Leapcure has enrolled 180+ patients, and on our most recent study the sponsor met its 90-subject randomization goal 12 days early.

Moderate-to-severe TED is a small slice of a rare disease

TED is moderate-to-severe in only about 22 percent of patients and sight-threatening in about 1 percent. Generic digital campaigns surface mild or inactive patients who then fail eligibility, spending site time on people the protocol cannot use. Finding the right patients takes targeting, not volume.

4 of 5 Leapcure TED patients are deemed eligible for screening, so coordinators spend their time on candidates who actually fit the protocol.

Eligible patients cluster at a few competing specialist centers

TED trials concentrate at a limited number of oculoplastic, neuro-ophthalmology, and endocrinology centers, where multiple studies compete for the same patients. Sponsors that rely on site walk-in and standard digital lose the race for that small pool. Reaching patients earlier, and beyond the busiest centers, keeps enrollment on track.

On our last TED study Leapcure enrolled patients at 9 of 13 US sites, was the only enrollment source at two of them, and contributed more than half of enrollments at seven.

Approved-therapy access shapes where patients can be found

Access to approved TED therapy is uneven worldwide. In markets where it is limited, large eligible populations remain untapped, and reaching them is how a sponsor recruits faster and more efficiently than a US-only strategy allows. This is a global-access story, not a demographic one.

Outside the US, Leapcure recruited TED patients at a 13% screen-fail rate (versus 47% in-US) and a roughly 3-month timeline (versus about 9 months in-US), across 10 countries.

Three channels. One strategy built for your TED trial.

Every TED study is different. Leapcure deploys the right mix of advocacy, ophthalmology, and precision digital outreach, mapped to your protocol, your sites, your geographies, and your timeline.

1

Activate advocacy, ophthalmology, and digital channels for your TED protocol

Leapcure activates the deepest advocacy network in TED across 30+ partnerships, direct engagement with 100+ ophthalmologists and ocular surgeons, and precision digital campaigns across search and TED and Graves' communities. Channel mix is matched to your eligibility criteria, active-phase requirements, site locations, and geographies.

2

Pre-screen patients and confirm fit before referral

Every patient is engaged by Leapcure before being assigned to a site. We assess protocol eligibility, confirm active-phase status and TED history, and prepare each patient for what a trial involves. Sites conduct official screening. We make sure the patients who arrive are informed, eligible, and prepared, not referrals that create coordinator work.

3

Optimize by region as sites engage

Channel performance and site contact rates are tracked continuously across regions. We rebalance advocacy, ophthalmology, and digital outreach by referral quality and site capacity. On our last TED study this kept enrollment moving across 10 countries, with ex-US markets recruiting at roughly a third of the US referral cost.

Our most recent TED study: Leapcure delivered 42% of all enrollments, and the sponsor randomized 12 days early.

Challenge Context

Indication

Thyroid Eye Disease (Graves' orbitopathy), active-phase patients

Sponsor

Leading TED therapy sponsor

Challenge

A short active-phase enrollment window, a narrow moderate-to-severe eligible population, and heavy competition for the same patients across a limited set of specialist centers.

Channels Deployed

Deepest advocacy network in TED (30+ partnerships), direct ophthalmologist and ocular-surgeon engagement (100+ clinicians), precision digital, and high-touch Patient Success support, with 4,000+ patient conversations.

Results & Metrics

Enrollment Contribution

42% of all study enrollments delivered by Leapcure; 23+ Leapcure patients enrolled, plus 10+ additional patients enrolled via a principal investigator Leapcure referred.

Site Penetration

9 of 13 US sites enrolled Leapcure patients; more than half of enrollments at seven sites; 100% of enrollments at two sites came from Leapcure.

Speed

The sponsor met its goal of 90 subjects randomized a full 12 days early.

Patient Quality

4 of 5 Leapcure patients deemed eligible for screening; 4,000+ patient conversations saved site coordinators hours of pre-screening.

Sponsor & Site Feedback

The sponsor wrote: "Today we met enrollment goal of 90 subjects randomized a full 12 days early. Thank you for all your help." A site investigator added: "I have not seen follow up like this on any recruiter in my 22 years experience. Amazing!"

Four channels. Built for TED. Active before your trial opens.

Leapcure reaches TED patients through the deepest advocacy network in the space, direct ophthalmology engagement, precision digital, and answer-engine visibility delivered to your trial.

Channel 1: TED Advocacy Network

  • •30+ engaged TED advocacy partnerships, including TEDct Charitable Trust, the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), Thyroid UK, the American Thyroid Association, and Prevent Blindness.
  • •Content is co-developed with advocacy partners so research reaches patients through sources they already trust, not as an unsolicited pitch.
  • •This is the deepest advocacy network in TED, spanning national thyroid and vision organizations, rare-disease groups, and regional foundations across 10 countries.

Channel 2: Ophthalmology and Patient Success Outreach

  • •100+ ophthalmologists and ocular surgeons engaged to surface diagnosed, active-phase TED patients through their treating clinicians.
  • •A high-touch Patient Success team supports each patient through eligibility, expectations, and logistics, with 4,000+ patient conversations to date.
  • •This support is why Leapcure referrals arrive informed and ready, which reduces screen-fail and coordinator burden.

Channel 3: Precision Digital Campaigns

  • •Search, social, and TED and Graves' community outreach, targeted by geography, eligibility, and site proximity.
  • •21,000+ TED patients reached and 20,000+ spoken to by the Patient Success team across TED campaigns.
  • •Digital is mapped to site capacity in real time so referrals stay matched to where sites can screen.

Channel 4: Answer-Engine and AI-Search Visibility

  • •TED patients increasingly ask ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's AI Overview which trials they may be eligible for. We make your trial's information genuinely retrievable for those engines.
  • •We do this with crawlable, factually rich content, cited sources, and presence in the advocacy and community sources AI engines actually cite, not schema tricks or content written for machines.
  • •Because AI engines cite trusted third-party sources more often than any single brand domain, Leapcure's 30+ advocacy partnerships and ClinicalTrials.gov presence are the structural advantage we bring to your trial.

Built on the deepest advocacy network in Thyroid Eye Disease

Leapcure's TED advocacy partnerships are active, named, and co-developed, not list purchases. 30+ partnerships span national thyroid and vision organizations, rare-disease groups, and regional foundations across 10 countries.

TEDct Charitable Trust

UK charity dedicated specifically to thyroid eye disease patients and their families

National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)

Leading US rare-disease advocacy organization and credibility anchor for TED outreach

Thyroid UK

UK thyroid-patient charity with broad reach across the Graves' and TED communities

The Thyroid Trust

UK thyroid-patient support organization and a warm referral channel

American Thyroid Association

Leading US professional and patient authority on thyroid disease

Australian Thyroid Foundation

National thyroid-patient organization extending reach across Australia

Prevent Blindness

US vision-health advocacy organization reaching patients facing sight-threatening disease

BrightFocus Foundation

Research and patient foundation focused on vision and brain conditions

Autoimmune Association

National autoimmune advocacy organization reaching the broader Graves' population

Fighting Blindness

Vision-focused patient organization supporting trial awareness and trust

Living with Thyroid Eye Disease? A clinical trial may be an option.

If you are living with thyroid eye disease, a clinical trial may give you access to investigational treatments that are not yet widely available. We know TED can be painful and frightening, especially when it affects your vision and how you see yourself. Leapcure's team answers your questions, explains what a trial involves, and supports you step by step.

See if a TED trial may be right for you
Leapcure kangaroo mascot

Leapcure is the most-proven recruitment partner in Thyroid Eye Disease, with 180+ patients enrolled across 10+ studies in 10 countries, the deepest advocacy network in the space, and 100+ ophthalmologists engaged. On our last study we delivered 42% of all enrollments and the sponsor randomized 12 days early. We deploy advocacy, ophthalmology, precision digital, and Patient Success support adapted to your protocol, and we can mobilize quickly.

Talk to our TED team