WCG Unveils Strategic Alliance Program for CROs

PRINCETON, N.J., -- In response to growing demand from both large, multinational and smaller, specialty clinical research organizations (CROs), WCG, the world's leading provider of solutions that measurably improve the quality and efficiency of clinical trials, has launched a program to augment the existing capabilities of CROs and further support the critical work they do in driving innovation in clinical trials. By providing CROs with access to its industry-leading clinical trial operations data, facilitating working relationships with investigative sites, and streamlining workflows with purpose-built technology, the WCG CRO Strategic Alliance Program enables CROs to better serve patients and research sponsors, and accelerate the pace at which new therapies are brought to market.

Nick Slack, MBE, President of WCG, noted: "The clinical trials industry is experiencing a period of unprecedented highs and lows. Clinical trial starts are at an all-time high—a positive trend for the entire healthcare ecosystem and, particularly, patients. At the same time, investigative site capacity is at an all-time low, adding complexity and delays to trials needed to bring life-saving therapies to market as safely and efficiently as possible. Along with other lingering effects of the pandemic, this leaves the life sciences industry in a tough spot. There is a very serious need for smart alliances among leading service organizations to address the challenges head on, which is why we are expanding our work with our long- standing CRO partners." 

"We are always looking for ways to provide the highest-quality services in protecting patients and running clinical trials efficiently for our sponsors, and our partnership with WCG helps us achieve those goals," said Peter Benton, President and Co-CEO, Worldwide Clinical Trials. "It provides the level of expertise to ensure scientific rigor, scalability to support our clients' global footprints, and flexibility to better meet needs and reduce the burden on research sites participating in clinical trials."

Engaged by 10 of the top-10 global CROs and 25 of the top-25 specialty CROs, WCG is a sought-after partner for CROs who conduct clinical trials on behalf of pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device companies of all sizes around the world. The WCG CRO Strategic Alliance Program allows CROs to leverage WCG's connected position in the clinical trial ecosystem to reduce study complexity and alleviate the burden on research teams at investigative sites, streamlining multi-vendor relationships into a harmonized, efficient engagement with a single partner.

"To ensure that new life-saving therapies are continuously progressed through the clinical trial process, CROs are mission-critical, so it is imperative that they are able to navigate a very fractured research site environment," Slack added. "We are here to help our long-time CROs do just that. With our deep domain expertise and 50 years of leadership in supporting trial sites, WCG has proven experience remediating resource constraints and enabling innovation for the future. Providing such fortifying capabilities to partners, who share our commitment to accelerating the development of vital new therapies and treatments for patients, is part of our ongoing efforts to meet clinical research needs with passion and purpose."

A nimble, multi-solution service provider that touches 97% of clinical trials conducted worldwide, WCG enables CROs to realize significant efficiencies by helping them enhance the predictability of study enrollment, protect trial endpoints, align with industry benchmarks and leading practices, and safeguard against costly unforeseen changes. Today, WCG serves more than 140 CROs across therapeutic and specialty areas such as oncology, CNS, immunology and rare disease, among many others. The Company's IRB division alone has supported CROs in conducting over 36,000 clinical trials across 183,000+ sites, underscoring the WCG's commitment to supporting the ecosystem of research stakeholders.

From ethical IRB review to patient recruitment; site augmentation to electronic clinical outcome assessment (eCOA); endpoint protection to imaging, safety and training technology platforms; to patient advisory boards and data monitoring committees, WCG ensures CROs are optimally resourced to better serve their clinical trial sponsor clients.

About WCG

WCG is the world's leading provider of solutions that measurably improve the quality and efficiency of clinical research. Comprised of two segments, Ethical Review and Clinical Trial Solutions (CTS), WCG enables biopharmaceutical companies, CROs, and institutions to advance the delivery of new treatments and therapies to patients, while maintaining the highest standards of human participant protection. For more information, please visit www.wcgirb.com, www.wcgclinical.com or follow us on Twitter @WCGClinical or LinkedIn.