Pharmaceutical Product Development (PPD), a global CRO, has entered into a collaboration with Frenova Renal Research, a drug and medical device contract clinical development services provider dedicated exclusively to renal research.

“The opportunity to collaborate with Frenova enhances our ability to connect our clients with researchers recognized as world leaders in the field of nephrology and further strengthens our industry-leading global site and patient capabilities by helping to deliver seamless access to patients, sites and data sources,” said Ulrich Zoeller, vice president, project management, general medicine for PPD. “Frenova’s access to more than two-thirds of all U.S. nephrology patients, coupled with the breadth of its resources and experience in renal research, will enable PPD to continue to build on its already strong presence in nephrology trials.”

As part of Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA)—a provider of kidney care products and services, and a network of more than 2,200 dialysis centers nationwide—Frenova maintains a world-class network of resources encompassing 260 research sites with 450 principal investigators and access to more than 183,000 active ESRD patients and 390,000 active CKD patients.

The breadth and depth of Frenova’s data access is rooted in FMCNA’s unmatched ability to gather and analyze immense amounts of patient data from within the company’s own care ecosystem. The company has collected data on more than 1 million patients, including data on more than 250 million dialysis treatments, more than 1 billion medication administrations and more than 1 billion laboratory results.

“Our collaboration with PPD expands the reach of our nephrology experts and broadens the impact of our invaluable treatment data in clinical trials,” said Kurt Mussina, general manager, Frenova. “We are pleased to join forces with PPD through our shared commitment of improving the lives of patients living with kidney disease, around the world, through the advancement of renal research.”

Through this relationship, PPD will offer its clients the therapeutic expertise of Frenova’s global nephrology experts, as well as access to F1RST Up (Frenova Rapid STart Up), Frenova’s exclusive alliance of research sites designed to streamline, initiate and enroll clinical studies dramatically faster than industry norms with just-in-time patient recruitment.

Frenova is active in more than 260 sites across the U.S., 15 of which are the proprietary F1RST Up sites with a strong track record of patient recruitment and retention. The F1RST Up sites use coordinated research processes that enable faster site startup and streamlined study execution.