Kroger Health, the healthcare division of US-based retail company The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), announced on Tuesday that it has set up its clinical trial site network along with pharmaceutical industry sponsors, contract research organisations, and health systems in order to increase reach and access to research studies.

The company, in partnership with Persephone Biosciences, is recruiting for the ARGONAUT clinical study (NCT04638751) to identify microbiome-based biomarkers indicative of colorectal cancer. Starting in the Toledo, Ohio area, certain Kroger pharmacies and its affiliate, The Little Clinic LLC, locations are to enrol its initial cohort of 55 people with various colorectal cancer risk levels, to advance the understanding of gut and immune health. Over the next year, Kroger Health is planning to enrol additional subjects and increase its locations.

The firm is looking for subjects with certain risk factors which includes age 45 and older who need their standard of care colonoscopy, age 18 or older with one or more first-degree relatives with a history of colorectal cancer and those who have three or more polyps during a colonoscopy or who have a personal history of colorectal cancer. The data collected from this trial will be used to develop personalized medicines and find cancer-specific indicators that may help guide future treatment and preventive strategies, such as utilising food as medicine.