Contract research organization PRA Health has been welcomed into the exclusive club of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority's (BARDA's) Clinical Studies Network (CSN).
This network was first set up back in 2012 with contracts sent out to a group of CROs with the mission of getting new drugs and vaccines approved, notably at speed when needed, such as in a global pandemic.
Over the years, however, it was found that BARDA’s CSN wasn’t always capable of matching some of these demands, with the need for a deeper pool of CRO contractors seen as one way of rectifying this problem.
PRA Health now becomes a new part of that solution, nabbing a so-called Clinical Trial Planning and Execution (CTPE) contract award. Through this, PRA will provide clinical research services to develop medical countermeasures that “protect health and save lives in public health emergencies,” according to its statement.
“This program represents important research that is necessary to protect and facilitate public health,” said Michael Massaro, senior vice president for project delivery and biometrics at PRA.
“We are proud to support BARDA’s Clinical Studies Network where we can offer our clinical research experience, expertise, and capabilities and be a healthcare intelligence partner for this unique and urgent need.”