Boston-based CRO PAREXEL International has launched the PAREXEL BioPharm Unit, a dedicated unit focused solely on the needs of small and mid-sized biopharmaceutical companies to help achieve their development goals.

Recent data indicates small and mid-sized companies are the engine of the biopharmaceutical industry, with 81% of ongoing development programs originating from sponsors outside of the top 25 biopharmaceutical companies.The PAREXEL BioPharm Unit will seek to support this pipeline by providing expertise, global infrastructure, operational excellence and turn-key technologies needed to help small biopharmaceutical companies advance their drugs through the development cycle. PAREXELdesigned this new delivery model to provide a high level of attention and service, with a goal is to provide a tailored solution that results in accelerated development timelines, reduced cost and a high level of quality.

"Small and mid-sized biopharmaceutical companies are truly the genesis of innovation and have been an important part of PAREXEL 's client base for more than 30 years," said Ubavka DeNoble, vice president of biopharm services, PAREXEL. "The creation of the PAREXEL BioPharm Unit is especially important for small pharma and biotech sponsors that have needs that are meaningfully different from large pharma sponsors. The breadth and depth of our expertise gives us the ability to create customized solutions that are designed to meet the particular needs of each client — whether the company is a small research venture, a growing mid-sized business, or a global enterprise."

The Parexel BioPharm Unit provides a senior management leader and dedicated team offering ongoing, frequent communication and proactive solutions, providing accelerated patient recruitment, increased speed of study start-up, shortened time to database lock and improved overall efficiency for meeting critical development milestones.

PAREXEL provides a range of knowledge-based contract research, consulting and medical communications services across the development and commercialization continuum, from drug development and regulatory consulting to clinical pharmacology, clinical trials management, medical education and reimbursement. Its subsidiary Perceptive Informatics provides advanced technology solutions, including medical imaging, to facilitate the clinical development process. PAREXEL operates in 71 locations in 50 countries around the world, and has approximately 11,920 employees.