Embedded service providers are future of the industry, says RPS
The firms recruit the researchers and specialists needed to run a project, before integrating them within businesses without the resources.
Last week, Outsourcing-Pharma reported the latest in a line of developments for the embedded services market with a four-facility expansion for Icon’s staffing and resources division DOCS.
And if industry insiders are to be believed this is just a taster of what is in store. For some, the business model has become an alternative to outsourcing to a CRO (contract research organisation) to reduce overheads.
Joseph Camero is executive recruiter for RPS, who provides employees as a service for pharmas and large biotech companies.
He spoke to Outsourcing-Pharma at this year’s AAPS conference in Washington about the future of embedded service providers in the industry and why there is a growing need for the provision.
“This is an alternative to using a CRO,” said Camero.
“Rather than outsourcing to other companies where they don’t really know the true experience or skills level of analysts working within those facilities, and at any given time these labs could be working on a multitude of different projects which could take precedence in the pecking order, we provide custom fit project teams of our employees.
“They work on assignments within our client companies.”
He added that staffing as a service could be a solution to the increasing number of facilities forced to close to reduce their overheads.
“The trend of the pharmaceutical industry is leaning towards outsourcing – large pharma companies are no longer doing that true clinical R&D (research and development). It is being outsourced.
“Some of these pharmaceutical companies have large R&D facilities that they either have to shut down or downsize to reduce the overheads and budgetary requirements.
“We can step in and covert employees to permanent RPS employees so they can still use their facilities and employees, and get their project to market on time.”
