The Hidden Drivers of Clinical Trial Success: Interview with Rivermark CEO Dr. Adam Kadlec
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What is the background of Dr. Adam Kadlec and Rivermark Medical?
A thing that I really wished I would have asked earlier on in a lot of the sites is who recruits patients for you? Who is your recruiter? And what's their process? And how successful have they been? I think that might be the most important thing. Identify who's finding the patients. And it's usually not the docs. It's not the study coordinator. I mean, you don't know who it is. But I think it's different everywhere. That to me is something I would want to know at every site. Welcome to MedCider, where you can learn from the brightest founders and CEOs in medical devices and health technology. Join tens of thousands of ambitious doers as we unpack the insights, tactics, and secrets behind the most successful life science startups in the world.
Now, here's your host, Scott Nelson. Hey, everyone.
How does workflow integration affect clinical trial success?
It's Scott. In this episode of MedCider, I sat down with Dr. Adam Kadlec, co-founder and CEO of Rivermark Medical, a urology-focused medtech company developing Flowstint, a first-line device treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, as most of us know it. Under his leadership, Rivermark has raised more than $36 million and is conducting a pivotal clinical trial. Prior to founding Rivermark, Adam was a high volume urologist in Milwaukee and consultant to multiple medical device companies. Here are a few of the key things that we discussed in this conversation. First, design for the workflow physicians already have, not the one you wish they had. Adoption barriers aren't just clinical, they're operational.
Flowstint works with equipment urologists use every day, turning diagnostic visits into therapeutic interventions without new capital, training, or scheduling complexity. Technologies that slide naturally into existing practice patterns face less friction and scale faster. Second, in clinical trials, identify who actually recruits the patients, and it's usually not the PI. Site performance often hinges on a single individual who talks to patients, follows up, and drives enrollment. Ask upfront, who is your recruiter? What's the process? What's the track record? This question predicts trial momentum better than investigator reputation.
Who is responsible for patient recruitment in clinical trials?
Third, raise capital in stages, communicate constantly, and protect your mindset through the grind. Rivermark launched with $2.5 million and proved value at each milestone before raising more. The hardest part isn't mechanics, it's the emotional toll. Adam notes the importance of finding a way to stay positive because investors respond to conviction and sustaining that energy matters as much as the pitch itself. All right, before we dive into this episode, I'm pumped to share that volume seven of MedCider Mentors is now live. This latest edition highlights key takeaways from recent MedCider interviews with incredible entrepreneurs like Bill Hunter, CEO of Canary Medical, Brian Lord, CEO of Pristine Surgical, Don Crawford, co-founder of Safian and current CEO of Corvista Health and other proven MedTech founders and CEOs.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the background of Dr. Adam Kadlec and Rivermark Medical?
0:03–0:54
2
How does workflow integration affect clinical trial success?
0:54–2:01
3
Who is responsible for patient recruitment in clinical trials?
2:01–3:18
4
What mindset is essential for resilience in medtech startups?
3:18–4:30
5
How does FlowStent differ from traditional treatments for BPH?
4:30–5:51
6
What strategies are effective for raising capital in medtech?
5:51–7:00
7
How can physician-innovators leverage their networks?
7:00–7:54
8
What lessons have emerged from the clinical trial process?
7:54–57:33