ACRO Marks 20th Anniversary – And Welcomes New Member

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On March 16, 2022, ACRO’s Board of Directors was joined by more than 125 clinical research stakeholders – including research sponsors, CROs and technology companies, regulators and policymakers, patient groups, and others – in Washington, DC to celebrate ACRO’s 20th anniversary.

As 2022 ACRO Chair Jackie Kent, Chief Customer Officer at Medidata, said in her welcome, “twenty years ago, contract research organizations were still relatively new players within the clinical research enterprise and the place of clinical trial technology providers was in its infancy. Today, CROs and technology companies are key participants in drug development and leaders in the digital transformation of clinical trials.

“Over the last several years, ACRO expanded the boundaries of membership in order to welcome not only CROs but technology companies as well. This recognition that the software, platforms, and innovative data capabilities provided by technology companies are increasingly integral to the design, execution and analysis of clinical trials reinforced the association’s long commitment to innovation in clinical development, and today membership is roughly half CROs and half technology companies. The mission of ACRO – to advocate for a positive and consistent regulatory and business environment in which companies that perform a wide range of clinical development activities can operate worldwide – did not change, but our voice became larger and more diverse.”

Exemplifying the enlarged membership of ACRO, on March 15 the association welcomed its newest member company, Verily, an Alphabet company focused on advancing precision health. Amy Abernethy, President of Clinical Studies Platforms at Verily, said, “We are pleased to be part of an association that is working to bring innovation to clinical development, and look forward to being part of initiatives that aim to reduce burdens on participants and investigators, enhance diversity in clinical trials, and speed the delivery of new medicines and new treatments to the patients who need them.”

About ACRO

The Association of Clinical Research Organizations (ACRO) represents clinical research and technology companies that provide a variety of specialized tools and services to support the development of new pharmaceuticals, biologics, and medical devices. Through its member companies, ACRO works to improve the quality, efficiency, and safety of biomedical research. ACRO member companies operate in more than 100 countries across the globe and conduct or support the conduct of a majority of clinical trials across all therapeutic areas.

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