Pharma Logistics Glossary: Contract Research Organisation (CRO)

The drug discovery process is complex and stubborn. The clinical stage, in particular, is resource intensive, demanding and high risk. A fine balance is required to execute this stage correctly.

Clinical Research Organisations (CROs) support drug manufacturers on their road to discover and approve drugs of the future by absorbing some of the clinical stage’s the burdens. Data research, project management, tests, trials that are run post approval, pre-clinical and clinical are just some of the activities covered. 

This relationship, which is built on trust and skill, can award manufacturers with heightened expertise as well as cost and time efficiencies. These benefits come at the cost of duties such as intensive communication management, confidentiality concerns and regulatory considerations.  

The trend of outsourcing to CROs isn’t expected to fizzle out anytime soon, especially as the spread of clinical trials across the world is growing.