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CenterWatch, Thought Leaders Mark 15 Years of Industry Growth

With CenterWatch reaching the milestone of its 15th anniversary this month, we asked industry thought leaders to reflect on this remarkable period of change and growth for our special issue. The answers are insightful and chronicle just how far the industry has come.

After taking a look back, industry thought leaders also try to envision the future. With pharmaceutical industry consolidations, layoffs and increasing regulatory pressures, it could be argued that the future has never been less clear.

Patient Recruitment Companies Band Together

A group of patient recruitment companies plan to form a trade organization next spring to raise awareness about how patient recruitment programs can be strategic  investments that help drug sponsors bring new drugs to market more quickly. They also want to address issues such as how the trend toward global clinical trials is affecting their niche industry. Not all of the major players are on board with this effort.

As demand for patient recruitment services has increased in recent years, the sector has seen rapid growth in the number of companies offering recruitment services. The patient recruitment organization space includes about a half dozen established, full service patient recruitment and retention companies and an increasing number of smaller niche companies. Global CROs, such as Kendle, Quintiles and Parexel, also have established patient recruitment divisions as part of their full-service offerings.

CentreStage Europe Celebrates 10 Years with a Look Back

As The CenterWatch Monthly celebrates its 15th anniversary, the CentreStage Europe feature also has a milestone to celebrate—10 years of covering the most important news of the day in Europe. This month,we take a look back at the top stories to come out of the region during that time. In the 10 years that CentreStage Europe has been a feature in The CenterWatch Monthly, five topics were written about the most often: The European Union Clinical Trials Directive 2001/20/EC, the growth of the Central and Eastern European clinical research market, advertising for patient recruitment, site management organizations and the Pediatric Rule.

Eye On: Migraine

Migraine is a chronic vascular condition with neurological symptoms, the most characteristic and frequent of which is intense, disabling headache. Approximately 30 million people in the United States (18% of women and 6% of men) suffer from migraine, according to the National Headache Foundation. In addition to the 10%of the population that is diagnosed with migraine, another 5% remain undiagnosed.

The pain associated with migraine typically results in significant healthcare costs and time lost from work and school. In fact, the World Health Organization includes migraine in the top 20 causes of disabling conditions, and in the top four neurological disabling conditions.

Also in this issue:

• Month in Review
• In the Pipeline
• Opportunities Initiating
• TrialWatch