CRA to open Las Vegas offices
CRA says the offices - due to be in operation by the end of 2011 - will focus on trials and maintenance studies relating to family and internal medicine, including diabetes, gout, adolescent and adult migraine, irritable bowel syndrome, pain management, osteoporosis and a wider range of vaccines.
Speaking to Outsourcing-Pharma, CEO Mark Hanley said CRA offers a mechanism for medical professionals to conduct phase II-IV clinical research trials. “Over the years,” he added, “CRA continues to consistently exceed patient enrolment goals, nearly doubling the industry average.”
Hanley believes this to be of notable importance as “patient enrolment rates are one of the most challenging components of successful studies industry wide.” With access to 23 sites, he added, CRA offers a wider patient pool, providing clients with greater success in patient enrollment for trials.
Having developed research departments within established family, internal medicine, pediatric and neurology practices, CRA considers its setting within the clinic as the key to its success.
Furthermore, positioning research staff in the physician’s office helps further facilitate patient enrolment and maintain better compliance rates, the company says.
Improved patient enrolment
The Las Vegas market is attractive to CRA, said Hanley, because of its close proximity to Phoenix, where the firm has other offices, and because there is a need for “experienced sites” in the Las Vegas region. CRA has established its presence in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area, Omaha metropolitan area and Colorado Springs, US.
“In the Las Vegas area there are many significant opportunities for CRA’s growth,” said Hanley. “Clinical trials are an integral component of modern medicine because they help facilitate the trial phase and ultimately, bring drugs to market more rapidly. Our services help pharmaceutical companies and CROs expedite the process,” he said.
Since a change of management in 2007, the company has opened and acquired several other new offices and now operates from 23 sites across 12 geographic markets in the US. The firm has also completed over 1600 clinical trials on behalf of its clients including Covance, ICON, Parexel, PPD and Quintiles.
“Looking ahead,” said Hanley, “CRA intends to continue its rapid growth by identifying new markets [in the US] into which it can expand and build additional sites.”
