CROs

Contract Research Organization (CRO) refers to companies that provide outsourced research services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device sectors. CROs perform a range of activities across the drug development lifecycle, including preclinical studies, clinical trial management, data management, biostatistics, medical writing, regulatory affairs, pharmacovigilance, and post-marketing surveillance. They enable sponsors to access specialized expertise and scale resources quickly without maintaining large in-house teams.

Services are offered as standalone projects or integrated programs. In clinical development, CROs may manage site selection and initiation, patient recruitment, monitoring, data capture, and statistical analysis. In preclinical and translational research, they may conduct toxicology studies, pharmacokinetics, and bioanalysis. Regulatory affairs and medical writing support submissions to authorities such as the FDA and EMA, while pharmacovigilance handles adverse event reporting.

Regulatory compliance is central. CROs operate under Good Laboratory Practice (GLP), Good Clinical Practice (GCP), and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) where applicable, and must adhere to guidelines from ICH, FDA, EMA, and other authorities. Quality systems, audits, and data integrity are core concerns.

Business models commonly involve contract-based pricing, with fixed-price, time-and-materials, or risk-sharing arrangements. Clients are typically pharmaceutical and biotech companies, academic institutions, or medical device manufacturers seeking to reduce development timelines, share risk, or access specialized expertise.

Market dynamics include ongoing consolidation among large CROs and growing demand for integrated service offerings, larger global footprints, and data-driven approaches such as risk-based monitoring and real-world evidence generation. The field continues to evolve with emphasis on speed, quality, and compliance.