Throughout the interview, it looked to me like Roger was a)...

Throughout the interview, it looked to me like Roger was a) pretty tired; and b) being VERY careful about what he said.

The "other factors...now" comment I believe is vitally important. He's not saying "But we've decided to see if we can rustle up some interest in helping with/shaping the Phase 3." That's in the rear vision mirror now. Nope, this is something tangible that's caused a reconsideration of the trialling strategy that would involve a major player and a licensing agreement - Roger says as much later in the video. And it's happened pretty recently.

Baby steps, but meaningful steps nonetheless.