Walgreens Boosts Clinical Trial Recruiting Unit as CVS Bows Out

Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. signed up another customer for a new unit that recruits participants for clinical trials, just as rival CVS Health Corp. exits the sector.

The company inked a deal with Freenome Holdings Inc., a San Francisco-based biotech startup, for its study of blood-based tests for early cancer detection. Since starting the division a year ago, Walgreens has announced roughly half a dozen deals. The company declined to provide any specific financial results for the unit.

While the decision by CVS to move on from clinical trials may suggest retail pharmacies face challenges in this space, Walgreens ...