The project, which will begin in January, will see the US contract research organisation (CRO) implement Quintiq’s APS software platform at its research centres in Kansas and Groningen in the Netherlands.
Although study management is rarely straightforward, the short timelines and specialised research expertise required for Phase I clinical trials represent a particular challenge in terms of the efficient use of resources.
While these difficulties are an ever present, the high number of cancellations seen in the early-stage research sector in the last 18-months has exacerbated the problem.
For PRA, the issue is compounded by its considerable geographic reach. The firm has been one of the most active CROs in expanding its global presence in recent times, adding units in Taiwan, South Korea, Brazil and Italy in the last 12 months alone.
And, although the main focus of the PRA's Ph I offering is at its facilities in the US, Holland and the Czech Republic, the recent expansions will have placed further demands on all of the firm's resources of which the early-stage units are a key part.
PRA’s response to this is the new Quintiq agreement. The CRO explained that, after a competitive evaluation process that included proof-of-concept analysis, it selected Quintiq's platform on the basis of its real-world adaptability.
PRA said Quintiq APS will provide a single platform for multi-project optimization that has the flexibility to respond to last minute changes desired by its clients and added that accurate planning will further secure subject safety.
This idea was reiterated by PRA Information Technology president Jeannie Inge who said that during the tender process “Quintiq was the only contender able to adapt specific rules and fulfil all our planning requirements. We challenged them and they succeeded."