Introduction
Worldwide Clinical Trials vs. Vial. How do they stack up? Worldwide Clinical Trials is a mid-size, full-service global contract research organization (CRO) that works with biotech and pharma to advance new medications. With an international presence in nearly 60 countries, Worldwide is supported by over 3,400 team members. Vial is a tech-first CRO reimagining clinical trials to deliver faster, more efficient trial results at dramatically lower costs for biotech sponsors. More than just a CRO, the people of Vial are “doers” – innovators, engineers, and ClinOps leaders working together to build a global, full-service CRO powered by intuitive end-to-end technology.
Therapeutic Area Coverage
Worldwide Clinical Trials (Worldwide) focuses on the following therapeutic areas: neuroscience, oncology, rare diseases, and cardiometabolic and inflammatory diseases. With neuroscience experience in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and dementia, neurology, pain and addiction, rare and other diseases, and psychiatry, Worldwide has been involved in neuroscience research since the 1970s. Worldwide Dermatology CRO’s dermatology Phase I unit provides a unified full-service solution to early clinical development and has run over 500 dermatology clinical trials covering more than 10,000 randomized patients. In the past three years, Worldwide has collaborated on 105 oncology studies supported by a global team of oncology clinical development experts. In rare diseases, Worldwide is experienced in autoimmune and inflammation; disorders of the heart, lungs, and kidneys; eye disorders; musculoskeletal disorders; blood disorders; genetic disorders; endocrine and metabolic disorders; nervous system disorders; and rare cancers. With more than 30 years of experience in cardiovascular research, Worldwide has global trial experience in all phases. Worldwide also offers an extensive group of subject matter experts in rare and common metabolic conditions. Other therapeutic areas include cell and gene therapy.
The Vial CRO team’s expertise spans indications in each therapeutic area, with prior experience at both large and small CROs. In common with Worldwide, Vial therapeutic areas include oncology, neurology, cardiology, and rare diseases. In addition, Vial has expertise in dermatology, ophthalmology, gastroenterology, medical devices, and digital therapeutics (DTx). Vial’s scientific advisory board has experience across all its therapeutic areas and immuno-oncology for the Oncology CRO. Lastly, Vial’s experienced CRO executive team works closely with the expert site operations team to continuously review execution strategies, closely monitor patient recruitment efforts, and mitigate key study risks for all its clinical trials.
Evolution of the Sponsor-CRO Relationship
Clinical research and drug development have transformed in recent years with the emergence of big data analytics, advanced trial technologies, and rapid advances in precision therapies. The need for closer and more strategic partnerships between sponsors and CROs is in line with these changes. Sponsors increasingly depend on CROs for specialized expertise, global reach, and data capabilities and to navigate the evolving landscape of clinical research and drug development. The team at Vial devotes the time to nurturing relationships with physicians, CMOs, project managers, and other key decision-makers, understanding that these relationships are invaluable for the success of any project.
Benefits of Working with a Small CRO
A recent survey of emerging, small, mid-size, and large pharmaceutical and biotech companies in the US and Europe by Worldwide examined sponsor perceptions of CROs. The doubts raised by the respondents – sponsors from organizations of all sizes and geographies – appear to cause an anticipated shift in outsourcing away from large CROs. For instance, 70% of respondents worry that potential project team disruptions lead to delays. In contrast, small CROs like Vial tend to have a much lower turnover than larger CROs, providing the stability and continuity sponsors need.
Clinical trial complexity
Advances in omics, genetics, personalized medicine, and artificial intelligence (AI) result in increasingly complex clinical trials. In turn, how sponsors work with CROs evolves into a new model requiring specialized services that “one-stop-shop” CROs cannot provide. Clinical trial designs are expected to become more complex, generating more data volume and diversity. According to Hardman et al., rather than pharmacologists or clinicians, algorithms managed by data scientists are more likely to drive drug development.
Advanced technology
To support the data-demanding analyses needed for precision medicine, high-throughput-omics technologies enable the retrieval of comprehensive biological data, while advanced data processing capabilities enable the data analytics required. Small, next-generation, technology-first CROs, like Vial, are poised to adopt the latest technologies, identify opportunities for application, and provide insights on how the tech may be deployed to improve clinical trial performance.
Cost and Time management
The Worldwide survey respondents revealed their preference for more agile CROs with a good balance of cost and value, amongst others. As Vial has invested heavily in technology and managed best-in-class research sites, it has a breadth of experience that matches or exceeds that of sponsors.
Site activation
Vial has a massively scalable clinical trial infrastructure and a fully automated end-to-end tech platform that powers reimagined trials. The intuitive technology platform integrates trial onboarding, patient enrollment, site communication, and data collection into a connected system for efficiency. A boon for both cost and time management, Vial’s onboarding platform seamlessly allows sites to start a trial in 30 days or less. Worldwide does not explicitly state a 30-day site activation offering.
Fixed fee pricing structure
Worldwide service contracts are subject to change orders, whereas Vial offers a fixed-fee pricing model that applies to all contracts. A fixed-fee pricing model helps sponsors stay on budget by avoiding costly unanticipated change orders.
Reimagining Clinical Trials
Vial’s modern, intuitive technology platform integrates trial onboarding, patient enrollment, site communication, and data collection processes into one connected system for efficiency. Vial is building towards a more efficient future for clinical trials. By deploying technology at every step, we are driving efficiencies in speed and cost savings for innovative biotech companies of all sizes. Let’s connect to explore how to work together on your next trial.
