Webinar: How to Shop for a CRO (A Strategic Framework)
Host: People Science | Speakers: Jacqueline Jacques (President & Co-Founder at Thrive Advisory Group), Sheena Smith (Senior Manager of Research Operations, at Buck Institute for Research on Aging), Paige Oliver (Director of Product at People Science), Sarah Burden (Senior Director of Sales at People Science).
Navigating the clinical research landscape can easily derail a brand’s budget and product timeline if you don't know what to look for in vendor proposals. Between wild price gaps, unnecessary study add-ons, and misaligned endpoints, shopping for a Contract Research Organization (CRO) requires a clear strategic lens. In this masterclass webinar, Dr. Jacqueline Jacques, Sheena Smith, and Paige Oliver walk through practical steps to audit vendor quotes, align study designs with business outcomes, and avoid costly procurement mistakes.
Watch the Full Webinar
Evaluating clinical research organizations (CROs) can feel like a high-stakes guessing game. How do you separate a gold-standard proposal from one riddled with hidden fees, bloated methodologies, and rigid frameworks that don’t serve your commercial goals? Join our expert panel for a 60-minute masterclass designed to pull back the curtain on the CRO selection process. Featuring insights from top CRO strategists, and industry experts Jacqueline Jacques (Co-Founder, Thrive Advisory Group), and Sheena Smith (Buck Institute) this session will give you the exact playbook to audit proposals like a seasoned pro. Stop guessing with your research budget. Learn how to choose a partner that bridges rigorous scientific endpoints with real commercial success.
Three Key Takeaways for Evaluating CROs
Selecting the right CRO requires balancing rigorous scientific methodology with your brand's commercial timelines and budget constraints. Below are three key takeaways from our expert panel on how to effectively shop for and evaluate a clinical research partner:
Align trial endpoints directly with commercial ROI: Define your business goals upfront so study endpoints generate claims marketing and regulatory teams can legally use under DSHEA. Proprietary clinical data also creates a competitive moat that drives company valuation during M&A deal flow and builds consumer trust in AI-driven search results.
Match the study framework to your budget and timeline: Higher price tags do not guarantee better science, as decentralized clinical trials ($200k–$350k) and pilot studies ($75k–$150k) often deliver high-quality, real-world data faster than traditional $1.5M in-clinic options. Watch out for hidden "clinic taxes" like redundant diagnostic machinery, and leverage site-less DCT models to lower overhead and boost participant retention.
Audit proposals for hidden costs and protocol risks: Ensure vendor biostatisticians properly power your trial to withstand participant dropout rates without losing statistical significance on primary outcomes. Additionally, work with supplement-literate CROs and IRBs to avoid triggering FDA IND requirements while confirming placebo logistics and 100% raw data ownership upfront.
Download the CRO Evaluation Toolkit
Download our CRO Evaluation Toolkit to compare CROs side-by-side against standard baseline line items and your specific study needs.
If you are currently evaluating active vendor quotes, reach out to our team today for help auditing your proposals and spotting hidden costs before signing.
