ProPharma Group Settles into Raleigh Life with RCO Business Model
By Alex Keown
May 26, 2023
Weeks after relocating to Raleigh, ProPharma Group has taken its research consulting business model to the Research Triangle Park area to deliver a new model of contract research partnerships.
ProPharma’s Research Consulting Organization (RCO) model is a strategic approach that allows client companies to maximize the potential of their assets while, at the same time, de-risking those programs, explained Sara Sorrentino, Executive Vice President of Global Business Development at ProPharma Group. Using its RCO model, partners with its clients through an advise-build-operate model and provides expertise in regulatory sciences, clinical research solutions, quality and compliance, pharmacovigilance, medical information, and R&D technology, Sorrentino said.
Sorrentino told BioBuzz she is excited about the steps ProPharma has taken with its RCO design, something she describes as a “bold and dynamic move” in the industry. She explained the company’s RCO model, the first-of-its kind, is tailor-fit for clients of all sizes. Typical CROs offer a “one-size fits all” type of approach, she said. However, companies, particularly emerging companies and those in the rare disease space, require a more tailored approach, she said.
ProPharma’s RCO model helps companies navigate the regulatory landscape, build decentralized clinical trials, and establish control system design to ensure they have the tools necessary to develop life-saving drugs, including those aimed at rare diseases, Sorrentino said.
Diseases that are classified as rare or orphan, are defined by the FDA as a disease or condition that affects less than 200,000 people in the country. While the number of patients affected by a single rare disease is relatively small, there are an estimated 10,000 known rare diseases that affect more than 300 million people across the globe. The majority of these diseases have no known treatment. In all, there are approximately 1,100 drugs approved for orphan diseases, highlighting the difficulty in developing drugs for these patient populations.
Sorrentino said ProPharma’s RCO model is a strong fit for companies focused on developing therapies for rare and ultra-rare diseases. It enables companies to de-risk investments made in drug development and clinical programs, as well as determining a viable patient pool. She said the company has AI technologies that enable them to “hone in and look at the sites that have seen these kinds of patients,” which will boost the potential for patient enrollment.
ProPharma’s RCO model is also able to leverage new understandings of the human genome that could improve the number of available treatments for rare diseases. A more detailed version of the genetic code was recently unveiled that includes a broader data set from peoples of differing backgrounds, including African, Asian, Caribbean, American and European people.
Additionally, ProPharma Group has access to subject matter experts who can provide additional support for companies developing these therapies, she said. She said this approach allows ProPharma to partner with their clients and keep the patients they serve at the center of the work.
“The RCO model allows us to be nimble, so we can help develop protocols and allows us to bring in our experts,” Sorrentino said. “Historically clinical trials are costly and we want to ensure we’re doing things in the efficient manner. ProPharma’s mission is the health and safety of patients. We’re always thinking about the patients we’re trying to help. So many of our experts, they’re clinicians who are trained in healthcare, they’re trying to improve people’s lives. If we work in a collaborative approach and have the right people sitting at the table… it’s a team approach that can lead to potential new treatments for these underserved patients.”
Sorrentino expressed excitement about ProPharma’s move from Kansas to downtown Raleigh. Being in the center of the city puts ProPharma in a dynamic area that will allow the company to attract top talent from area universities and businesses so it can continue to scale the RCO model. ProPharma plans to add between 75 and 100 new positions to its Raleigh operations over the next two years.
“There’s culture, energy and excitement in Raleigh. We’re excited about the location and what the future will hold,” she said.
In addition to the plethora of existing CROs and other biopharmaceutical companies, Sorrentino noted there are several business incubators in the area, as well as collaborations between academic institutions and teaching hospitals that add to the dynamic atmosphere in Raleigh.
Over the past several years there has been a seismic shift in the CRO landscape, particularly a significant amount of consolidation in the clinical research space. That includes noticeable shifts in RTP-based companies, such as the 2016 formation of IQVIA, brought about by the merger of Quintiles and IMS Holdings, as well as the recent $7.1 billion acquisition of Syneos Health. RTP is home to more than 150 CROs that employ thousands of people. Some noted CROs located in the region include Labcorp (which is spinning off its CRO business into a new company dubbed Fortrea), IQVIA, FHI Clinical, Parexel, PPD, Syneos Health and more.
As ProPharma settles into Raleigh and its new CRO disruptor role, Sorrentino said the company will continue to provide patient-focused support to its client companies and the safety of the patients they serve.
“Through and through, to our core, this is where we feel we can be a strong partner to these organizations. We care so much about these patients and we want to be part of the development of novel products that can lead to an improved quality of life,” she said.
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Alex Keown is a freelance journalist who writes about a variety of subjects including the pharma, biotech, and life science industries. Prior to freelancing, Alex has served as a staff writer and editor for several publications.
