Continuum will focus on its patient recruitment and retention services after divesting the practice to the contract research organization (CRO) Worldwide Clinical Trials.
The acquisition, terms of which were not disclosed, expands Worldwide’s observational research study services and adding health economics outcomes research (HEOR) and patient registry capabilities.
“The acquisition benefits our pharma and biotech customers with enhanced capabilities in supporting both clinical and commercial development activity,” said Peter Benton, president and chief operating officer, Worldwide Clinical Trials.
“Regulatory approval is just the first step in achieving market acceptance for innovative drugs and devices,” he said. “This acquisition enables Worldwide to support our clients’ needs in establishing the value of their products both pre- and post-approval in all countries.”
The Continuum Clinical Late Stage research practice will be combined with the Worldwide Evidence business, led by Jeff Trotter, president of Continuum Clinical Late Stage.
“This combination will create significantly more scale and capability for our customers,” Benton told us, noting that the demand for real-world evidence (RWE) has dramatically increased over the past several years.
“Many companies are establishing RWE departments to address the demand,” he added.
According to a recent ISR report, RWE studies are the fastest growing area of study in the field of HEOR, “with some estimating that the use of real-world data has doubled in just the past five years,” said Benton.
Additionally, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued guidance on the use of RWE in the development of devices. The agency is also developing on policies to support RWE use in expanded drug approvals and post-approval requirements.