DURHAM, N.C., Dec. 13, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Fortrea (Nasdaq: FTRE) (the "Company"), a leading global contract research organization (CRO), today announced it convened last week the inaugural meeting of its Site Advisory Board, a collaboration between clinical research investigator sites ("sites") and industry leaders to create a better clinical trial experience for sites, patients and clinical study sponsors ("sponsors") by targeting changes in technology, operational planning and delivery, commercial terms and community engagement.
Fortrea places sites and investigators at the forefront of clinical trial planning, leveraging their perspectives to drive changes that will improve the speed of trial execution, ease study start up and increase recruitment efficiency. These changes address long–standing challenges within clinical trials and will result in a better site, patient and sponsor trial experience. The Site Advisory Board will be responsible for providing insight and feedback on strategies and solutions proposed regarding sites, patients, trial operations and relevant technology.
"Sites and investigators are critical to the industry at every stage of clinical development, and they traditionally have faced hard–to–solve challenges in clinical trials alone. We welcome their insights in protocol design and actively engage them in early conversations with our operational teams and sponsors to quickly establish the most efficient, patient–focused trial plans," said Mike Clay, vice president, Development Strategy and Growth, at Fortrea. "The formation of the Site Advisory Board marks an acceleration of our site–focused strategy and includes representation from incredibly impressive leaders, creating a think tank for our industry. The Board will also serve as a cornerstone of our ability to respond to sponsors with insights that improve the predictability of their trials, working together to develop efficient operational plans and provide sponsors with a high degree of confidence in speed of patient recruitment and overall trial delivery."
Inaugural members of Fortrea's Site Advisory Board include leaders and experts from Circuit Clinical, Elligo Health Research, FutureMeds, Javara, MD Anderson Cancer Center Foundation Spain, ObjectiveHealth, Pratia S.A. and Velocity Clinical Research, representing 440 sites across more than 25 therapeutic areas and nine countries and providing access to diverse patient communities.
What Fortrea's Site Advisory Board members are saying"
"We firmly believe that this collaborative approach, bringing together both CRO and sites, will enable all stakeholders to align more effectively on perspectives within the clinical trial market," said ukasz Bczkowski, chief operating officer at Pratia. "This, undoubtedly, empowers us to act together in a more efficient manner. Initiatives like these play a crucial role in propelling us all towards positive and expedited changes."
"Fortrea is taking a 'listen first' approach by giving sites an equal voice towards the most effective working practices for dynamic patient communities and site stakeholders, leading to the best service to clinical trial sponsors," said Nick Spittal, chief operations officer at Velocity Clinical Research.
"Fortrea is leading the industry in making partnerships more productive and efficient, from trial process to business relationships, all in the effort to accelerate new products to market," said Barry Simms, chief operating officer at Elligo Health Research.
"Providing the appropriate patient access solution is vital in determining the ultimate success of a clinical trial. Historically, care providers have not been involved in the early development of research planning and strategy," said Colleen Hoke, chief executive officer at ObjectiveHealth. "We are very supportive of Fortrea employing an innovative new approach to engage with healthcare site partnership providers, who are key to delivering successful research results, early in the planning process."
"FutureMeds is delighted to join the Fortrea Site Advisory Board to build better understanding between key stakeholders in the clinical research industry," said Radek Janiak, chief executive officer at FutureMeds. "Hearing the voice of patients, investigators and sites will put Fortrea in a pole position for bringing new therapies to the market."
"Working across the vast clinical trial ecosystem is complex and requires highly functional partnerships centered on trust and competence," said Michelle Rule, senior vice president of enterprise optimization at Javara. "Fortrea's genuine commitment to building a forum and working relationships through the Site Advisory Board exhibits dedication to progress for all stakeholders in research and, most of all, the patients."
About Fortrea
Fortrea (Nasdaq: FTRE) is a leading global provider of clinical development and patient access solutions to the life sciences industry. We partner with emerging and large biopharmaceutical, medical device and diagnostic companies to drive healthcare innovation that accelerates life changing therapies to patients in need. Fortrea provides phase I–IV clinical trial management, clinical pharmacology, differentiated technology–enabled trial solutions and post–approval services. Fortrea's solutions leverage three decades of experience spanning more than 20 therapeutic areas, a passion for scientific rigor, exceptional insights and a strong investigator site network. Our talented and diverse team of about 19,000 people working in more than 90 countries is scaled to deliver focused and agile solutions to customers globally. Learn more about how Fortrea is becoming a transformative force from pipeline to patient at Fortrea.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter) @Fortrea.
Fortrea Contacts:
Fortrea Media: Galen Wilson "" 703–298–0802, media@fortrea.com
Fortrea Media: Kate Dillon "" 646–818–9115, kdillon@prosek.com
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