ICON: Leading CRO for International Project Execution By R&D Managers

ICON plc, a global provider of outsourced development services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries, has been rated the leading contract research organisation (CRO) for international project execution in a new survey of pharmaceutical and biotech R&D managers conducted by Lehman Brothers Equity Research Analyst Douglas Tsao.

The company was also rated as a leading CRO in the other key quality metrics assessed, namely overall quality of service and timeliness of database lock, or the point where databases are closed and ready for statistical analysis.

To date ICON has conducted development projects in over 50 countries including global mega-trials requiring patient recruitment, investigator site monitoring and simultaneous multi-country coordination. An increasing number of these studies include patients from emerging regions for clinical development, including Eastern Europe, Latin America and Asia.

The Lehman Brothers research report stated “the survey was conducted to get a better understanding of the dynamics affecting the CRO industry including the factors that drive outsourcing decisions”.

The report said: “The data from our survey suggests that CROs' ability to execute in international locations is becoming an increasingly important driver for the group and that CROs investing in those capabilities should benefit.”