A Qureight-anchored innovation spotlight highlighted how synthetic control arms—external-data-generated comparators—are being used to reduce dependence on placebo groups. The approach uses existing datasets to generate flexible control cohorts, potentially improving power when recruitment delays or ethical constraints limit traditional randomized designs. The spotlight described a workflow that repeatedly draws random selections from an external dataset to construct the synthetic control arm, then pairs it with trial outcomes and biomarkers. It also framed the method as particularly helpful for complex or rare conditions such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). For trial sponsors, the emphasis is on operational feasibility and statistical comparability: synthetic arms can shorten timelines and reduce sample size requirements, but their credibility depends on the rigor of matching and the stability of external data sources.