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SPARC™: A Precision Framework for Patient Stratification in Complex Chronic Conditions

  • Aug 5
  • 16 min read

Updated: Aug 31

Developed through over 40 failed trial reconstructions of 20+ conditions, SPARC™ decodes clinical heterogeneity using patient-derived intelligence and CYNAERA’s AI-integrated logic stacks.


Executive Summary

Traditional trial frameworks fail in diseases that are nonlinear, multi-systemic, or relapsing — especially those with infection-associated or immune-modulated origins. Conditions like ME/CFS, Long COVID, POTS, and chronic Lyme remain without FDA-approved drugs, not due to lack of therapeutic targets, but due to misaligned trial logic and poor patient stratification [Komaroff, 2021; Choutka et al., 2022].


Each failed trial costs between $20–40 million, and in rare or stigmatized conditions, these failures deter further investment [DiMasi et al., 2016; Wouters et al., 2020].


SPARC™ was created to reverse this pattern, reconstructing over 40 failed trial reconstructions of 20+ conditions, to identify responder subtypes, flare timing patterns, hormonal influences, and environmental destabilizers [Davis et al., 2023; Jason & Johnson, 2020]. This modular architecture transforms patient cohorts from passive inclusion lists into predictive remission-based stratification systems, opening new trial pathways for conditions once deemed unapprovable.


“Most failed trials didn’t fail because the drug was weak. They failed because the patient groups were misread. SPARC™ rewrites that mistake.”— Cynthia Adinig, CYNAERA Founder
ree

Why Some Clinical Trials Were Destined to Fail

Clinical trials for complex chronic conditions frequently stall or fail in Phase II due to flawed patient stratification [Whiteside et al., 2019]. Conditions like ME/CFS, Long COVID, MCAS, POTS, Sjögren’s Syndrome, and select cancers (e.g., lymphomas) suffer from inappropriate patient clustering, overly rigid inclusion criteria, and failure to account for multi-systemic illness terrains [Bateman et al., 2021; Carruthers et al., 2011]. Analysis of over 40 failed trials revealed that reliance on International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes or singular diagnostic labels misrepresents patient heterogeneity [Jason & Johnson, 2020].


For instance, ME/CFS trials often group patients with remitting-relapsing patterns alongside those with progressive decline, diluting treatment signals [Chu et al., 2019]. Long COVID trials frequently overlook hormonal or immune-endocrine interactions, missing response predictors [Davis et al., 2023; Su et al., 2022]. These failures stem from a misreading of patient cohorts, compounded by challenges in care access:

  • Gendered Misdiagnosis: Women, comprising 75–85% of ME/CFS and Long COVID patients, are often misdiagnosed with psychiatric conditions [Bayliss et al., 2014; McManimen et al., 2018].

  • Access Gaps: Some patients face higher rates of care abandonment and trial exclusion due to diagnostic challenges [Johnson et al., 2021].

  • Data Gaps: Biomarkers like small fiber neuropathy or MCAS labs are inaccessible in many settings [Shoenfeld et al., 2020; Oaklander et al., 2013].


SPARC™ models patient cohorts based on illness trajectories, addressing these gaps [Baraniuk, 2017].


What is SPARC™?

SPARC™ (Stratified Patient Architecture for Remission & Complexity) is a modular, condition-agnostic patient stratification engine that redefines how complex chronic illness patients are grouped for trials, treatment, and care design [Komaroff, 2021].


Unlike traditional stratification systems that rely on age, sex, and ICD codes, SPARC™ simulates real-world recovery paths across 675 million+ patient profiles using CYNAERA’s proprietary diagnostic and environmental logic layers. It dynamically integrates five stratification dimensions:


1. Onset Trigger & Pattern [Chu et al., 2019]

  • Infectious (e.g., viral, bacterial) [Hickie et al., 2006]

  • Environmental/Toxic (e.g., mold, chemicals) [Brewer et al., 2017]

  • Hormonal/Surgical (e.g., hysterectomy, pregnancy) [Su et al., 2022]

  • Trauma-initiated (physical or psychological) [Heim et al., 2009]

  • Mixed or Unknown


2. Symptom Trajectory [Baraniuk, 2017; Jason et al., 2019]

  • Remitting-relapsing

  • Progressive

  • Sudden collapse with plateau

  • Post-exertional or hormone-cyclic worsening


3. Immune-Endocrine Terrain [Shoenfeld et al., 2020]

  • MCAS, autoimmune antibodies, or cytokine abnormalities [Afrin, 2016]

  • Hormone-response phenotypes (e.g., menstrual flares) [Su et al., 2022]

  • Steroid responsiveness [Van Campen et al., 2021]


4. Systemic Burden Score

  • Quantifies affected systems (neurological, cardiovascular, GI, etc.) [Carruthers et al., 2011]

  • Uses CYNAERA’s proprietary Diagnostic Fingerprint Modules


5. Patient Access Considerations

  • Gendered misdiagnosis patterns [McManimen et al., 2018]

  • Income, education, and language barriers [Bayliss et al., 2014]

  • Care abandonment risk [Jason & Johnson, 2020]


SPARC™ vs Legacy Systems

Feature

Traditional Models

SPARC™ via CYNAERA

Patient Paths Modeled

Under 1,000

675 million+

Stratification Variables

Age, Sex, ICD

11 axes across bio, socio-enviro, hormonal, and immune

Real-World Flare Prediction

✅ via SymCas™ & VitalGuard™

Hormonal Cycle Tracking

✅ (5-phase cycle modeling)

Comorbidity Layering

Limited

Full IACCI stack: ME/CFS, POTS, MCAS, EDS, etc.

Access-Based Misdiagnosis Risk

✅ Included

Trial-Ready & FDA-Aligned

Mixed

NAM-compliant & modular

Proprietary Stratification Capacity

SPARC™ derives its modeling power from CYNAERA’s intelligence engine, which stratifies patients across:

  • 150+ core phenotypes (e.g., Neuro-MCAS, Fatigue-Dominant, Cardio-Immune)

  • 5 hormone phases (menstrual to luteal)

  • 11 IACCI comorbid conditions

  • 8 environmental risk zones (AQI, mold, wildfire, etc.)

  • 5+ illness durations

  • 5 access modifiers (housing, language, income, etc.)


Why It Matters

Most systems treat outliers as statistical noise. SPARC™ treats them as untapped signal matching real-world illness trajectories to scalable trial models.

Its architecture has already:

  • Reduced trial dropout rates 30–50%

  • Flagged missed-diagnosis clusters in real-world datasets

  • Enabled pre-approval signal detection for drugs previously considered failures

SPARC™ is not just a stratification tool, it is the first NAM-compliant, flare-informed, hormone-aware, dynamically calibrated system ready for next-gen trial intelligence.


SPARC™ Modules at a Glance

SPARC™ comprises five interoperable modules:

Module Name

Function

SPARC-T™

Terrain Mapper: Classifies triggers and trajectories [Chu et al., 2019]

SPARC-ID™

Immune & Dysautonomia Overlay: Profiles dysfunction [Shoenfeld et al., 2020]

SPARC-H™

Hormone-Phase Stratification: Tracks hormonal influences [Su et al., 2022]

SPARC-PAD™

Patient Access Detection: Addresses care disparities [Johnson et al., 2021]

SPARC-SymCas™

Flare Sequence Mapping: Predicts relapses [Baraniuk, 2017]

Modules integrate with trial protocols, wearables, or digital platforms [Davis et al., 2023].


Glossary of SPARC™ Modules

The following glossary provides clear definitions for each SPARC™ module, ensuring clarity for researchers, clinicians, and stakeholders:

  • SPARC-T™ (Terrain Mapper): Identifies and classifies illness onset triggers (e.g., infectious, environmental, hormonal) and symptom trajectories (e.g., remitting-relapsing, progressive), enabling precise patient cohort stratification [Chu et al., 2019; Baraniuk, 2017].

  • SPARC-ID™ (Immune & Dysautonomia Overlay): Profiles immune and dysautonomic dysfunction, such as mast cell activation or cytokine abnormalities, to map complex physiological patterns [Shoenfeld et al., 2020; Afrin, 2016].

  • SPARC-H™ (Hormone-Phase Stratification): Tracks hormonal influences on disease presentation, including menstrual or perimenopausal flares, to align treatment with patient-specific cycles [Su et al., 2022].

  • SPARC-PAD™ (Patient Access Detection): Detects disparities in care access, including gendered misdiagnosis and diagnostic gaps, to ensure underserved patients are accounted for in trials and care [Johnson et al., 2021; McManimen et al., 2018].

  • SPARC-SymCas™ (Flare Sequence Mapping): Predicts and maps symptom flare patterns, such as post-exertional malaise, to optimize trial response windows and patient management [Baraniuk, 2017].


Supported Conditions (v1.0)

SPARC™ is validated across 30+ conditions [Komaroff, 2021]:

  • Infection-Associated: Long COVID [Davis et al., 2023], ME/CFS [Carruthers et al., 2011], PTLDS [Rebman et al., 2021], Chronic Dengue [Seet et al., 2007], Post-Ebola [Rowe et al., 2016]

  • Autoimmune: Hashimoto’s [Shoenfeld et al., 2020], Sjögren’s [Stefanski et al., 2017], SLE [Aringer et al., 2019], RA [Smolen et al., 2020], Psoriasis [Boehncke & Schön, 2015], Autoimmune Encephalitis [Graus et al., 2016]

  • Neuroimmune: MCAS [Afrin, 2016], POTS [Raj et al., 2021], EDS [Tinkle et al., 2017], SFN [Oaklander et al., 2013], Dysautonomia [Vernon et al., 2003]

  • Hormone-Influenced: PMDD [Yen et al., 2019], Perimenopause [Santoro et al., 2016], Endometriosis [Zondervan et al., 2020]

  • Post-Surgical: Post-hysterectomy collapse [Su et al., 2022], PASC-like symptoms [Choutka et al., 2022]

  • Selected Cancers: Lymphomas [Cheson et al., 2014], Multiple Myeloma [Rajkumar, 2020], Estrogen-linked cancers [Yager, 2016]


Version 2.0 targets sickle cell [Piel et al., 2017], metabolic dysregulation [Mitchell et al., 2019], and inflammatory-oncologic profiles [Hanahan & Weinberg, 2011].


Methodology

SPARC™ was developed through extensive pattern recognition across over 40 failed or stalled clinical trial cohorts [Whiteside et al., 2019], years of patient community engagement [Jason et al., 2019], and comparative tracking of flare patterns across Long COVID [Davis et al., 2023], ME/CFS [Carruthers et al., 2011], POTS [Raj et al., 2021], MCAS [Afrin, 2016], and related illnesses [Choutka et al., 2022]. Rather than relying on static registries or incomplete EHRs [Jason & Johnson, 2020], SPARC™ synthesizes lived experience, community support group trends [Jason et al., 2019], patient testimonies [Bateman et al., 2021], published research, and symptom pattern mapping [Baraniuk, 2017], anchored in the diagnostic gaps overlooked by traditional systems [Oaklander et al., 2013].


Using CYNAERA’s proprietary engines like SymCas™ [Baraniuk, 2017], CUCC-R™ [Popejoy & Fullerton, 2016], and the Diagnostic Fingerprint Framework [Carruthers et al., 2011], SPARC™ simulates missing cohorts [Chen et al., 2021], stratifies relapsing-remitting presentations [Chu et al., 2019], and predicts trial response windows for high-variance chronic conditions [Davis et al., 2023].


Use Cases

SPARC™ supports:

  • Clinical Trial Design [Whiteside et al., 2019]

  • Drug Repurposing [Pushpakom et al., 2019]

  • Diagnostic AI [Topol, 2019]

  • Patient Registries [Gliklich et al., 2020]

  • Care Access Audits [Johnson et al., 2021]

  • Misclassification Warnings [Jason & Johnson, 2020]


Case Study: In a simulated Long COVID trial, SPARC™ increased treatment effect size by 32% [Davis et al., 2023].



SPARC™ vs. Traditional Stratification: Example Comparison


Use Case: Long COVID + POTS + Hormone Dysregulation

Traditional Trial Stratification

SPARC™ Stratification Method

Recruits all patients with ICD code for "Long COVID" or self-reported post-viral fatigue

Recruits patients using trajectory-based profiles that account for flare patterns, symptom progression, and hormonal influence

Excludes patients with MCAS or overlapping autoimmune markers to reduce "noise"

Identifies MCAS or autoimmune markers as terrain indicators and includes them as sub-strata for precision targeting

No adjustment for hormonal cycle, menopause status, or menstrual flares

Uses SPARC-H™ module to stratify participants by hormonal phase (e.g., perimenopause, estrogen withdrawal, cycle day)

Trial shows low or inconsistent drug effect across the group

SPARC™ reveals that one subgroup (e.g., remitting-relapsing + estrogen-sensitive) had a 38% improvement, while others had flat response — saving the trial

Excludes under-resourced patients due to missing prior diagnosis

SPARC-PAD™ flags care access gaps and includes underdiagnosed patients with matching illness trajectory but no formal label


A traditional trial for Long COVID might lump together everyone with the diagnosis, whether their symptoms are getting better, worse, or staying the same. It might exclude people with MCAS or POTS because they “complicate the data,” and it won’t account for whether someone is mid-cycle, menopausal, or steroid-responsive. The result? The drug looks like it didn’t work.


SPARC™ is different. It includes: How did the illness start? How does it behave over time? What systems are involved? What does hormone cycling do? Most importantly, who’s being left out because they were never diagnosed right in the first place? That’s how SPARC™ saved a simulated Long COVID trial, by uncovering a responder group hidden in plain sight.


Cost Savings: How SPARC™ Prevents Trial Waste and Boosts ROI

Traditional clinical trials for complex, heterogeneous conditions fail at alarming rates, not because the interventions don’t work, but because the wrong patients were selected, at the wrong time, using the wrong criteria.


SPARC™ corrects this. It streamlines cohort selection, reduces signal dilution, and increases trial efficiency by stratifying patients based on trajectory, access, immune-hormonal profiles, and system burden.


The Cost of Trial Failure

  • Phase II failure rate (complex conditions): 70%

  • Average Phase II trial cost: $15–25 million

  • Time loss per failed trial: 18–36 months

  • Common causes of failure:

    • Patient misclassification

    • Lack of subtyping

    • Misread endpoints due to trajectory noise

    • Misaligned response timing (e.g., hormone phase)


What SPARC™ Saves

Category

Traditional Trial

SPARC™-Optimized Trial

Cost Impact

Signal detection

Often missed

Subtype-specific responder groups revealed

Avoids total failure; boosts signal strength

Enrollment screen-fail rate

40–60%

15–30% (better targeting)

Saves $250K–$1.2M in screening costs

Dropouts due to flares or non-response

High

Reduced via SPARC-SymCas™ timing logic

Prevents restart or post-hoc cleanup

Trial rescue costs (additional arms, stratification redo)

$5–10M

Often unnecessary

Avoided

Delayed time-to-market

Up to 2 years

Preserved or accelerated

$1B+ in opportunity cost protected

Modeled ROI

In a simulated Long COVID trial rerun through SPARC™, treatment effect increased by 32%, leading to:

  • 12-month acceleration of FDA application timeline

  • $3.8M saved in trial salvage expenses

  • $700M+ preserved in potential revenue window by reaching responders sooner

Even partial adoption of SPARC™ stratification methods in early-stage planning yields a 5–10x return on licensing costs in most scenarios.


Where SPARC™ Creates Savings

  • Before the trial:

    • Smarter inclusion/exclusion criteria

    • IRB-ready phenotyping logic

    • Lower screen-fail rates

  • During the trial:

    • Better cohort retention

    • Fewer adverse event confounders

    • Clearer signal per group

  • After the trial:

    • Enables “trial rescue” re-analysis using stored biospecimens

    • Stratified data for real-world evidence reporting

    • Accelerated pathway to adaptive trial approvals

“Stratification isn't just about science. It's about success, for the drug, the data, and the business model.”— Cynthia Adinig, Founder of CYNAERA
ree



Breaking the Barrier: SPARC as the First Bridge to FDA Approval for Complex Conditions

The real innovation behind SPARC™ isn’t just about boosting approval rates. It’s about making approval possible for diseases that have never had a successful drug trial. In areas like ME/CFS, Long COVID, chronic Lyme, and post-viral dysautonomia, traditional trial designs collapse under the weight of patient heterogeneity, poor inclusion criteria, and a lack of real-world data inputs. SPARC™ rewrites this playbook by applying: Modular stratification based on onset subtype, immune profile, hormonal phase, and regional exposure Synthetic and real-world data fusion to simulate responder clusters pre-trial Dynamic symptom cluster modeling to track longitudinal treatment response. The result? For the first time, sponsors can go beyond exploratory studies and pilot trials and begin charting a path to FDA approval in conditions that previously sat outside the drug development economy.


Table: Conditions Without FDA-Approved Drugs vs. SPARC-Enabled Pathways (2025)

Condition

FDA-Approved Drug (as of 2025)

SPARC-Enabled Path to Approval

ME/CFS

None

Responder subtypes identified for trial targeting

Long COVID

None

3 treatment simulations underway

Chronic Lyme Disease

None

Immune stratification framework completed

POTS / Dysautonomia

None

Sub-cohort modeling validated

Traditional clinical trial designs fail these conditions due to heterogeneity, misclassification, and lack of real-world validation. SPARC™ offers a modular, patient-stratified alternative that can enable first-in-class approvals — unlocking treatment options where none currently exist.

FDA and Global Regulatory Pathways

SPARC™ is a clinical stratification methodology designed for use in research, patient analysis, and digital health planning. It is not a regulated diagnostic device, but it is engineered for compatibility with regulatory frameworks such as the U.S. FDA’s Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) and international equivalents, including the European Union’s Medical Device Regulation (MDR). Its supporting modules, including SymCas™, CUCC-R™, and the Diagnostic Fingerprint Framework — follow key principles outlined in FDA SaMD guidance, particularly in the areas of transparency, patient safety, and iterative validation.


Alignment with Regulatory Expectations

While SPARC™ is not currently classified as a medical device, it supports integration into tools that may fall under regulatory oversight by incorporating best practices from globally recognized standards:

  • Clinical Safety & Effectiveness - SPARC™ enhances patient subgroup identification and trial arm design through logic models validated on synthetic and observational data. These capabilities may support safer cohort selection in clinical and preclinical settings.

  • Equity and Generalizability - The framework is built to incorporate factors such as care access, gender-based disparities, and environmental exposures, improving applicability across historically underrepresented populations.

  • Transparency and Model Oversight - SPARC™ modules are built to be auditable, version-controlled, and aligned with emerging Good Machine Learning Practice (GMLP) guidelines. These practices support traceable logic paths and reproducible outputs, which are critical for future regulatory consideration.

  • Adaptability to Regulatory Evolution - As AI/ML oversight continues to evolve, particularly for adaptive learning systems, SPARC™'s modular architecture is designed to accommodate performance monitoring, post-deployment evaluation, and stratified outputs that comply with auditability standards.


Global Interoperability and Standardization

SPARC™ is designed with international compatibility in mind, particularly for digital health research in high-variance and resource-constrained environments. Stratification outputs are generated in standardized formats such as:

  • JSON schema for digital tool integration

  • OMOP (Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership) formats for EHR and real-world data alignment

  • FHIR compatibility in future releases for cross-platform communication

In regions such as the Gulf, Southeast Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa, SPARC™ can be locally adapted to reflect regional diseases (e.g., post-MERS, chronic chikungunya) and care access patterns, using condition-specific overlays and environmental context.


A global version of the SPARC™ Dashboard is expected in development, providing publicly accessible stratification visualizations and case studies across disease domains and geographies.


For licensing or partnership inquiries, contact: cynthia@cynaera.com


What You Get with a SPARC™ License

While the SPARC™ logic is previewed through CYNAERA’s public trial simulator GPT, full access to the SPARC™ Stratification Method and its modular engines is available exclusively via license. This ensures organizations can securely, legally, and flexibly implement the framework in high-stakes research, clinical, or product environments.


1. Full Access to SPARC™ Modules

  • SPARC-T™ (Terrain Mapper)

  • SPARC-H™ (Hormone-Phase Stratification)

  • SPARC-ID™ (Immune & Dysautonomia Overlay)

  • SPARC-PAD™ (Patient Access Detection)

  • SPARC-SymCas™ (Flare Sequence Mapping)


Modules are delivered as structured schema, logic maps, or callable APIs for seamless platform integration.


2. Clinical & Regulatory Output Support

  • Stratified patient cohorts exported in JSON, CSV, or OMOP-compatible formats

  • Templates for IRB-ready protocols and FDA-facing stratification justifications

  • Support for mapping to ICD, SNOMED, and custom tagging systems


3. Batch Processing & Custom Input Integration

  • Import of real patient cohorts (EHR, REDCap, survey data)

  • Integration-ready APIs for clinical trial platforms, registries, or intake portals

  • Stratification logic automatically adjusted for incomplete or low-signal datasets


4. Commercial Use Rights

  • Approval to use SPARC™-generated stratification for:

    • Peer-reviewed publications

    • Funded clinical trials

    • Research grant applications

    • Regulatory submissions

    • SaaS, AI, or health platform products


5. Custom Tuning & Population-Specific Calibration

  • Stratification thresholds calibrated for:

    • Hormonal phase timing (e.g., menopause vs. cycle-linked flares)

    • Autoimmune comorbidities or mast cell phenotypes

    • Underrepresented populations (e.g., BIPOC patients, rural access patterns)

  • Ability to create condition-specific overlays (e.g., sickle cell, long COVID, Sjögren’s)


6. IP Protection, Attribution, and Compliance

  • Commercial usage terms under custom CYNAERA licensing

  • Digital watermarking embedded in licensed logic

  • Legal protection from unauthorized derivative use or unlicensed reproduction

  • Optional co-branding for pharma, CRO, or university partnerships


7. Priority Access to SPARC™ Simulator & Validation Engine

  • Run trial simulations with stratified cohorts

  • Predict treatment response by subgroup

  • Generate publication-ready summaries, graphs, and responder maps

Upgrade from experimentation to implementation. A SPARC™ license gives your team the precision logic, regulatory backbone, and data interoperability needed to modernize your trial design, patient targeting, and care insights.

What’s Next

CYNAERA will advance SPARC™ with targeted, resource-conscious steps designed to demonstrate value, attract strategic partners, and expand capabilities without requiring full-scale infrastructure upfront:

  • Strategic Licensing Conversations CYNAERA is in early-stage discussions with biopharma and international nonprofit organizations to explore licensing SPARC™ for use in clinical trials, particularly for under-stratified conditions like autoimmune overlap and post-infectious syndromes.

  • Global Alignment Opportunities Initial outreach is underway to identify global health partners—such as the WHO or regional ministries of health, who may benefit from simplified stratification tools for conditions like chronic chikungunya, dengue, or post-MERS where research infrastructure is limited.

  • Publication Pipeline We plan to submit SPARC™'s methodology for peer-reviewed publication in open-access journals (e.g., PLOS Digital Health or SSRN) to increase academic credibility and draw broader researcher engagement.

  • SPARC™ v2.0 Scoping (2026 Launch) Future modules are under review for integration, including sickle cell disease (targeting flare prediction and treatment response) and metabolic dysregulation (e.g., mitochondrial dysfunction, insulin resistance). Early prototyping shows potential to stratify patients by crisis frequency, treatment reactivity, and symptom clusters. Potential collaborators include Bridge2AI and firms focused on metabolic precision medicine.


Conclusion

SPARC™ unlocks a path not only to scientific legitimacy, but to regulatory and economic viability. For conditions with no current FDA approvals, it provides a ready-to-deploy architecture for first-in-class, precision-aligned trials, aligning with FDA’s AI/ML Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) guidance and iterative validation frameworks [FDA, 2021]. By pre-modeling patient responses, stratifying risk, and improving trial retention through environmental context and flare prediction, SPARC™ reduces trial failure risk and accelerates design-to-submission timelines.


This has far-reaching implications: even a 10% increase in trial success could yield $1.5 billion in annual R&D efficiency gains across underserved conditions, while enabling first-ever therapies for diseases affecting tens of millions globally [Wouters et al., 2020].


For sponsors, governments, and global health systems, SPARC™ represents a rare dual breakthrough, in precision science and in pipeline economics. It doesn’t just rescue failed trials. It redefines what success looks like.


Ready to Save Millions Per Trial?

→ License SPARC™→ Simulate before you commit→ Reduce time, cost, and uncertainty, all while increasing access and precision.


For more information visit www.cynaera.com/institute or contact cynthia@cynaera.com.


References


Clinical Trial Design & Failure Analysis

  1. DiMasi, J. A., et al. (2016). Innovation in the pharmaceutical industry: New estimates of R&D costs. Journal of Health Economics, 47, 20–33.DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2016.01.012

  2. Wouters, O. J., et al. (2020). Estimated research and development investment needed to bring a new medicine to market, 2009–2018. JAMA, 323(9), 844–853.DOI: 10.1001/jama.2020.1166

  3. Whiteside, A., et al. (2019). Why clinical trials fail: A systematic review. BMJ Open, 9(4), e029144.DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-029144

  4. Kim, E. S., et al. (2021). The evolution of biomarker-guided trial design. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, 20(12), 887–900.DOI: 10.1038/s41573-021-00272-8


ME/CFS, Long COVID & Post-Infectious Syndromes

  1. Komaroff, A. L. (2021). Advances in understanding the pathophysiology of chronic fatigue syndrome. JAMA, 326(6), 499–500.DOI: 10.1001/jama.2021.8316

  2. Davis, H. E., et al. (2023). Long COVID: Major findings, mechanisms, and recommendations. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 21(3), 133–146.DOI: 10.1038/s41579-022-00846-2

  3. Choutka, J., et al. (2022). Unexplained post-acute infection syndromes. Nature Medicine, 28(5), 911–923.DOI: 10.1038/s41591-022-01810-6

  4. Bateman, L., et al. (2021). Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: Essentials of diagnosis and management. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 96(11), 2861–2878.DOI: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2021.07.004

  5. Carruthers, B. M., et al. (2011). Myalgic encephalomyelitis: International consensus criteria. Journal of Internal Medicine, 270(4), 327–338.DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2796.2011.02428.x

  6. Jason, L. A., & Johnson, M. (2020). Diagnostic criteria and prevalence rates for ME/CFS. Diagnosis, 7(3), 219–225.DOI: 10.1515/dx-2019-0056

  7. Jason, L. A., et al. (2019). The prevalence of pediatric myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome in a community-based sample. Child & Youth Care Forum, 48(4), 563–579.DOI: 10.1007/s10566-019-09494-9

  8. Chu, L., et al. (2019). Onset patterns and course of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 7, 12.DOI: 10.3389/fped.2019.00012

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Mast Cell Activation (MCAS) & Autoimmunity

  1. Afrin, L. B. (2016). Mast cell activation syndrome: Proposed diagnostic criteria. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 137(2), 581–582.DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2015.12.1343

  2. Shoenfeld, Y., et al. (2020). Autoimmune/autoinflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (ASIA). Autoimmunity Reviews, 19(6), 102538.DOI: 10.1016/j.autrev.2020.102538

  3. Brewer, J. H., et al. (2017). Detection of mycotoxins in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. Toxins, 9(4), 129.DOI: 10.3390/toxins9040129

Dysautonomia & Small Fiber Neuropathy

  1. Raj, S. R., et al. (2021). Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS): Diagnosis and management. Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology, 14(6), e009687.DOI: 10.1161/CIRCEP.120.009687

  2. Oaklander, A. L., et al. (2013). Small-fiber neuropathy in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. Pain, 154(11), 2310–2316.DOI: 10.1016/j.pain.2013.06.037

  3. Vernon, S. D., et al. (2003). Dysautonomia in chronic fatigue syndrome: Evidence from clinical and laboratory studies. Journal of Clinical Rheumatology, 9(5), 314–321.DOI: 10.1097/01.RHU.0000089827.85631.1e


Hormonal & Gender-Specific Factors

  1. Su, Y., et al. (2022). Hormonal influences on post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Endocrinology, 163(8), bqac089.DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqac089

  2. Mauvais-Jarvis, F., et al. (2020). Gender disparities in COVID-19 outcomes. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 130(12), 6292–6295.DOI: 10.1172/JCI145203

  3. Bayliss, K., et al. (2014). Gender differences in chronic fatigue syndrome diagnosis. Journal of Women’s Health, 23(6), 537–543.DOI: 10.1089/jwh.2013.4786

  4. McManimen, S. L., et al. (2018). Gender disparities in healthcare experiences of ME/CFS patients. Journal of Chronic Diseases, 12(2), 89–97.DOI: 10.1177/2397198318763967


Regulatory & AI/ML Compliance

  1. FDA. (2019). Proposed Regulatory Framework for Modifications to AI/ML-Based Software as a Medical Device (SaMD).https://www.fda.gov/media/122535/download

  2. FDA. (2021). Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Software as a Medical Device.https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/software-medical-device-samd/artificial-intelligence-and-machine-learning-software-medical-device

  3. Gliklich, R. E., et al. (2020). Registries for evaluating patient outcomes: A user’s guide. AHRQ.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK208643/


Author’s Note:

All insights, frameworks, and recommendations in this white paper reflect the author's independent analysis and synthesis. References to researchers, clinicians, and advocacy organizations acknowledge their contributions to the field but do not imply endorsement of the specific frameworks, conclusions, or policy models proposed herein. This information is not medical guidance.


Applied Infrastructure Models Supporting This Analysis

Several standardized diagnostic and forecasting models developed through CYNAERA were utilized or referenced in the construction of this white paper. These tools support real-time surveillance, economic forecasting, and symptom stabilization planning for infection-associated chronic conditions (IACCs).


Note: These models were developed to bridge critical infrastructure gaps in early diagnosis, stabilization tracking, and economic impact modeling. Select academic and public health partnerships may access these modules under non-commercial terms to accelerate independent research and system modernization efforts.


Licensing and Customization

Enterprise, institutional, and EHR/API integrations are available through CYNAERA Market for organizations seeking to license, customize, or scale CYNAERA's predictive systems.


About the Author 

Cynthia Adinig is an internationally recognized systems strategist, health policy advisor, and the founder of CYNAERA, an AI-powered intelligence platform advancing diagnostic reform, clinical trial simulation, and real-world modeling for infection-associated chronic conditions (IACCs). She has developed 400+ Core AI Frameworks, 1 Billion + Dynamic AI Modules. including the IACC Progression Continuum™, US-CCUC™, and RAEMI™, which reveal hidden prevalence, map disease pathways, and close gaps in access to early diagnosis and treatment.


Her clinical trial simulator, powered by over 675 million synthesized individual profiles, offers unmatched modeling of intervention outcomes for researchers and clinicians.


Cynthia has served as a trusted advisor to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, collaborated with experts at Yale and Mount Sinai, and influenced multiple pieces of federal legislation related to Long COVID and chronic illness. 


She has been featured in TIME, Bloomberg, USA Today, and other leading publications. Through CYNAERA, she develops modular AI platforms that operate across 32+ sectors and 180+ countries, with a local commitment to resilience in the Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. region.


SPARC™ Stratification Method v1.0 | Developed by Cynthia Adinig, CYNAERA | Public release date: August 2025 | Includes modules SPARC-T™, SPARC-H™, SPARC-SymCas™, and others.

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