The COVID-19 clinical trial era was characterized by expansive use of platform trials. The large burden of infections, combined with the volume of candidate interventions, provided an opportunity to establish many platform trials globally that contributed significantly to COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. Indeed, platform trials answered more questions faster and with fewer participants. Looking forward, should platform trials be the new standard for clinical trials? Are they all equally valid? What are the barriers for establishing such trials? In this talk, I will review opportunities and challenges of designing and conducting platform trials, highlighting my experience with COVID-19 and Ebola virus disease trials.