The program includes two components: a select group of sites and an online community, the Catalyst Site Network and the Catalyst Community, respectively. Through the program INC will focus on creating stronger collaborations with clinical research sites in order to help drive continuous improvement and best practices.
A new model
“We’ve been thinking long and hard about the way that we work with our sites, and observing what’s been happening in the industry,” Clare Grace, PhD, VP, Site and Patient Access, INC Research, told Outsourcing-Pharma.com. “We feel that there is need to move to a different model in terms of how we work with sites.”
Grace explained the new model will enable INC to “drive into the future with new ways of working and collaborating with sites.”
An important aspect is implementing new methods and technologies in collaboration with sites, and in stages.
“In the past we’ve developed these approaches in-house and then rolled them out to sites,” she added. “The Catalyst program will enable INC to work on new methodologies with a select group of Catalyst Sites and then implement them in the same way in the broader Catalyst Community.”
The catalysts
The Catalyst Site network will focus initially on oncology and vaccine sites in the US and Asia/Pacific regions, respectively, which represent high-growth opportunities for the CRO industry and INC. Participation in the Catalyst Site program is by invitation only, and includes the opportunity to participate in an increased volume of clinical trialswith a dedicated relationship manager supporting the site.
According to Grace, there is a wide range of criteria for participation in the program, but they fall within three categories: the site’s historical performance, both with INC and with others; the site’s ability to collaborate and willingness to partner; and the site’s future potential.
INC’s Catalyst Community will have access to many of the benefits enjoyed by the Company’s Catalyst Sites via profile-targeted content. Sites will be able to manage their profile, observe their study performance and gain insight into pipeline opportunities while contributing to new methodologies in development.
“The relationship between with CROs and sites is absolutely changing,” said Grace. “The Catalyst program is the best way INC can strengthen its collaborations with sites across the drug development process to drive innovation in clinical research.”
While other CROs may choose alternate solutions, “ultimately, all of them are changing the way they are working with sites.”