Synergy Research Group, a CRO based in Moscow, Russia, is addressing one of the most common roadblocks to clinical trial ramp-up by taking sales and business development out of the proposal and/or bid cycle. This is another step in Synergy’s commitment to offer quality, speed and lower cost to every sponsor.

Every prospective client or new project will be assigned an experienced study manager from the outset. The manager will bring in a team of experts on regulatory affairs, medical writing and others as needed to ensure that the full scope of the project is taken into consideration at the earliest possible moment, before a bid or proposal is submitted. Under this structure, the trial will be operational as soon as the sponsor approves the project.

“I’ve talked to a number of colleagues in the CRO industry and the delay that occurs during the handoff from business development to the beginning of the trial is a common concern,” said Igor Stefanov, CEO of Synergy Research Group. “Eliminating sales and business development and having the study manager involved from the outset will eliminate the ramp-up time and save sponsors’ time and administrative costs.”

The company has implemented a number of initiatives designed to increase transparency and offer the highest quality to sponsor companies. These initiatives include an interactive dashboard that gives a snapshot of the progress and health of all of the projects that Synergy currently is involved in.

Russia boasts large patient populations across high-demand therapeutic areas such as oncology, infectious disease and cardiovascular. Per-patient study costs are low in the region, despite having a large number of experienced researchers in multiple sites. Additionally, the per-patient spend on pharmaceuticals in the region is expected to more than double by 2016, growing to over four billion dollars annually.