Synexus looking to expand into the US

Patient recruitment remains a challenge for biopharm, particularly in established markets, but Synexus says its model can help. Having applied the model to sites in the UK, Germany, South Africa and Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) Synexus is now targeting the US.

Some US clinical trial sites struggle with patient recruitment, Jane Restorick, chief operating officer at Synexus, told Outsourcing-Pharma, creating an opportunity in the congested market.

Establishing a presence in the country would also bring Synexus closer to many of its clients and help them comply with requirements for inclusion of US patients in regulatory submissions.

Search for a site in India​

Before expanding into the US Synexus must find a suitable site in the country. Restorick said Synexus has been searching for a site in India but its specific requirements make it a challenging process.

Synexus is looking for Indian sites with: a good track record; experience of global trials; high-quality data; a similar culture and operating model; and, preferably, prior successful regulatory inspections.

Applying these selection criteria has led to Synexus eliminating many potential targets from the list of Indian clinical trial sites it is considering.

Synexus has identified some suitable sites and discussions have progressed to a late-stage, said Restorick. Completion of the deal would give Synexus its first sites outside of Europe and South Africa.

Ukraine​

While looking to expand onto new continents Synexus continues to bolster its presence in CEE. To grow operations in Ukraine a regional manager, Dmytro Razborov, has been hired to lead business development.

Synexus sees Ukraine as a key market for growth and appointing Razborov will help it realise the potential. Ukraine has a number of characteristics that make it an attractive location for clinical trials.

“The drop out rates [in Ukraine] are considerably lower than in Western Europe and the doctor-patient relationship is generally stronger and with higher levels of respect and trust", said Christophe Berthoux, CEO of Synexus.

Patient retention​

Minimising patient drop out rates is an important task, particularly when performing large, multi-year clinical trials. As such, Synexus uses a range of strategies, from the commonplace to unconventional, to retain patients, said Restorick.

For instance, Synexus hosted an educational lunch for participants in an osteoporosis trial. This combined a trial-relevant speaker programme with a lunch and has was positively received by participants and the sponsor.

Using strategies like an educational lunch in conjunction with more traditional retention strategies, such as Christmas and birthday cards, can help minimise drop out rates.