CROs - Pillars in Drug Development
A CRO, or contract research organization, is a company that provides, on a contractual basis, services in the biomedical research field.
The discovery of new medical treatments is a long and costly process that requires extensive expertise. Pharmaceutical companies used to carry out the vast majority of drug development studies, but a change to their business model in the 2000s led to them closing their large laboratories, both here in Quebec and elsewhere in the world. This transformation forced research to be structured differently, and it is now mainly done by external partners. While contract research organizations (CROs) had generally focused on the phases of clinical research, they have diversified to now offer more specialized research services, which allows for research projects to continue to be carried out.
CROs are an integral part of the innovation chain as they support biopharmaceutical sector companies in all phases of the development of a new drug, vaccine, or medical device. They have the expertise to develop drugs, which helps to accelerate discovery and reduce costs.
Given their crucial role in the development of new treatments and technologies, as well as their economic importance, BIOQuébec and CATALIS, with financial support from the Ministry of Economy and Innovation, conducted a study of Quebec CROs to chart the sector’s impact and measure its growth, strengths, and needs.