Sponsor GlaxoSmithKline, CRO Medpace and IRB Quorum Review all took home the coveted Eagle Award last Saturday, honored by investigative sites at the sixth annual Site Solutions Summit.

“We’re thrilled to win this award,” Quorum CEO Cami Gearhart told the 430 attendees. “We were founded on the idea that one organization can provide both strong ethics and good customer service.” This year marked the first time the IRB category was added to the Eagle Awards, which honor one CRO and one sponsor annually.

Michelle Cecic, senior CRA at Medpace, accepted her company’s award. “It’s because of our great working relationships with our sites that makes us so successful,” she said.

Accepting the award for GlaxoSmithKline was Lisa Sorrells, lead CRA.

It was GSK’s second time winning the Eagle Award. She read a statement from Craig Wozniak, head of the Americas region. "We have always valued and focused on the relationships with investigational sites to deliver high-quality research. It is critical to acknowledge and understand the challenges the sites we partner with face, and work together to overcome them.

"To be recognized by you, the site community, for a second time is indeed a great honor and one that we at GSK are humbled to receive.”

Close to 400 sites voted by confidential ballot to select this year’s recipients, evaluating companies with which they had worked during the past 18 months on criteria including professionalism, partnership, efficiencies and financial considerations. The awards recognize outstanding leadership, integrity, passion and dedication to advancing the clinical research profession through strong site partnerships.

The Site Solutions Summit, held in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., is an annual conference that brings together leaders in the clinical research process, including research site executives and professionals, sponsor and CRO executives and other senior-level industry representatives. In a collaborative setting, they tackle their business challenges and help identify best practices to succeed. It is co-hosted by RxTrials Institute and the Association of Clinical Research Organizations (ACRO).

--Cheryl Appel Rosenfeld