The pharmaceutical and biotechnological landscape is constantly evolving and a key partner within the drug development process is contract research organizations (CROs), who are at the forefront with sponsors to drive innovation in clinical research. A CRO is an organization that offers specialized services to clinical trial companies, whether pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device, accelerating the development and approval of new drugs and therapies. CROs face a highly competitive market given the continually evolving world of clinical trials. In this article, we have selected two standouts–Vial, a rising star, and PPD, a seasoned player– and will explore how each organization presents a unique array of opportunities in the industry. Continue reading as we delve deeper into a comparison between these two thriving CROs, highlighting their strengths, potential weaknesses, and overall roles in the clinical research landscape.
Overview of Vial CRO
Founded in 2020, Vial has quickly emerged as a promising newcomer in the CRO market within the United States and globally. As a tech-first CRO, the mission of Vial’s expert team of clinical professionals is to deliver faster, better, and more affordable clinical trial results for biotech sponsors. With offerings such as Vial EDC, ePRO, eSource, and their Site Startup Portal, this company is carving a niche for itself as a CRO dedicated to innovation and technology-driven solutions, while maintaining accessibility and affordability to such solutions. With these advanced technological tools, Vial CRO has established itself as a partner that delivers services with efficiency and cost-effectiveness, a combination that is highly coveted by clinical trial sponsors within this market.
Let’s take a look at their recent accomplishments. In 2022, the company successfully closed a $67 million Series B led by General Catalyst, with support from organizations such as Byers Capital, BoxGroup, and others. Vial also announced a partnership with NEXT Oncology, a global network of phase I cancer research clinics headquartered in San Antonio, Texas that delivers treatments for patients with advanced cancers. In 2023, they also entered into a collaborative alliance with Mason America Inc., who will provide Vial with hardware as a service for clinical sites, enabling secure and remote management of devices for eSource at a global scale; Mason is a provider of mobile infrastructure for smart hardware products. These tablets are now actively in use in clinical sites across the United States on studies run by Vial, streamlining data collection and providing a seamless eSource experience for healthcare professionals and their patients. This is further evidence of Vial’s mission to launch the clinical trial space away from an era of traditionally inefficient paper-based methods to one with digitally enabled solutions that fosters more inclusivity, affordability, and innovation for sponsors, researchers, as well as patients and their families.
Vial: The Limitations of Newer CROs
For Vial CRO, their primary advantages include their personalized approach to each client, cost-effectiveness, and their goal to leverage technological tools for efficiency. This lends them the ability to adapt quickly to changes and offer tailor-made solutions that perfectly fit the client’s needs and gives them a distinctive edge. However, as a smaller organization, Vial may face limitations associated with their relatively short track record and proving their reliability over time. Additionally, their resource network may not be as wide-reaching as that of PPD’s, which could affect their ability to manage more large-scale, intricate projects as easily as a larger CRO. As a newer player in the CRO market, this company is still in the process of establishing themselves the way PPD has over the past several decades, consistently solidifying the trust and reliability clients can expect from partnering with them.
Overview of PPD
On the other hand, we have PPD, the Goliath to Vial’s David; this CRO is a well-established company in the pharmaceutical space and widely recognized in the CRO industry in particular. Founded in 1985 as a one-person consulting firm, PPD has cultivated a stalwart reputation for delivering high-quality research and consistently reliable data over the course of nearly 40 years and clinical trials in more than 100 countries. According to the company’s mission, PPD provides end-to-end solutions for clinical testing. Their reputation as a larger CRO is also based on their extensive global network of investigators, clinicians, patients, and testing sites, and uses its regulatory expertise, data and business analytics, and laboratory services to work with various organizations. As a result, a CRO like PPD is well-equipped with a broad range of experts and resources to manage even the most large-scale and complex projects easily, making them a popular one-stop shop for many sponsors.
PPD: The Limitations of Larger CROs
As is the case with many larger organizations, PPD’s size may require rigid bureaucratic structures which could be a limitation in cases where speed and flexibility are paramount for a client’s needs. As a result, decision-making processes with a CRO like PPD could potentially be slower than preferred, which in turn reduces their overall ability to be flexible. Compared to smaller, more dynamic firms like Vial CRO, such a limitation may make them less agile. This is an area where they could potentially improve to maintain their competitiveness in the industry to keep up with its quickly evolving regulatory, technological, and scientific landscapes.
PPD vs. Vial: A Matter of Fit
When choosing between larger CROs like PPD and newer, smaller organizations like Vial, there are several factors to consider that could impact your decision. For example, PPD may be more well-equipped for a client that wishes to run a global clinical trial, requires a strategic partnership involving equity participation, preferring multi-year R&D contracts, or with projects requiring a large number of personnel quickly. On the other hand, Vial is the perfect choice for sponsors who are seeking a CRO partner that will provide undivided attention to their projects, experienced but niche project teams, lower project turnover, and a consistently present team throughout the trial.
Furthermore, although larger CROs like PPD may comparatively offer lower bid costs in the beginning, the reliance on change work orders can slowly drive costs for sponsors higher over time. Higher turnover associated with larger organizations can also cause frustration as a result of project timeline extensions being required. Ultimately, this choice requires a careful balance between innovation, personalization, reliability, and resource availability by sponsors to ensure they find a CRO that best supports their R&D efforts.
Conclusion
Both Vial CRO and PPD have their unique pros and cons that make them suitable for different types of clients and projects. Vial CRO’s innovative and personalized approach brings a fresh perspective to the industry, whereas PPD offers a history of reliability and extensive resources. The choice between the two would ultimately depend on the specific needs, preferences, and priorities of the clinical trial sponsor.
Vial: The CRO for Biotech, Powered by Technology
Our mission at Vial as a next-generation, tech-first CRO is to empower scientists to discover groundbreaking scientific therapeutics that help people live happier, healthier lives. Our proactive team of innovators, engineers, and ClinOps (Clinical Operations) leaders have built a global, full-service CRO powered by intuitive end-to-end technology that enables us to deliver flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and reliability. Contact a Vial representative today to discover how we can make a difference for your next clinical trial!
