Morrisville, NC – March 15, 2018 – Worldwide Clinical Trials, Inc., (Worldwide) announced today that the company has acquired the Late Stage research practice of Continuum Clinical, LLC, (Continuum) Northbrook, Illinois. The acquisition expands Worldwide’s ability to help life sciences industry sponsors establish evidence of value at every stage of the product life cycle. Worldwide, a global, full-service contract research organization (CRO), specializing in central nervous system, cardiovascular, metabolic, immune-mediated inflammatory disorders, oncology and rare disease research, offers Bioanalytical Lab and Phase I-IIA, Phase IIB-IIIB and Phase IV clinical trial services. Seasoned veterans from Continuum’s Late Stage research practice will join the Worldwide EvidenceTM business unit – expanding Worldwide’s observational research study services and adding health economics services, patient-reported outcomes research, patient registries, and other pre- and post-approval initiatives designed to generate real-world data. According to a recent ISR report, real-world evidence (RWE) studies are by far the fastest growing area of study in the field of health economics outcomes research (HEOR), with some estimating that the use of real-world data has doubled in just the past five years.[i] Increasingly employed as a critical complement to traditional controlled clinical trials, RWE delivers value as part of the entire life cycle of medical products – particularly in decisions on product use, coverage and reimbursement. In fact, the FDA recently issued guidance on the use of RWE in the development of devices and is working on policies to support its use in expanded drug approvals and post-approval requirements.[ii] “Sponsors, healthcare providers and regulators are seeking better data and evidence to design, deliver and manage healthcare. CROs can be their greatest ally – by helping to accelerate generation of evidence and real-world outcomes data on the clinical, economic and humanistic impact of new drug and device solutions,” said Peter Benton, president and chief operating officer, Worldwide Clinical Trials. “We look forward to building upon Continuum Clinical’s Late Stage leadership team’s decades of industry-leading experience to expand our Worldwide Evidence service offerings and offer what no other CRO can – an uncommon blend of real-world evidence understanding and global operational strength.” Jeff Trotter, president of Continuum Clinical Late Stage, will join Worldwide Clinical Trials to lead the Worldwide Evidence business unit. “Worldwide Clinical Trials is the perfect match for our Late Stage practice,” said Trotter. “As the leading midsized CRO, Worldwide’s bespoke, hands-on approach mirrors our client-service philosophy and will enable us to serve clients with substantially expanded resources to support sponsors’ medical affairs, health economics, and evolving real-world evidence departments.” After today’s divestiture of its Late Stage practice to Worldwide Clinical Trials, Continuum Clinical will remain focused on its foundational business of patient recruitment and retention, which it has been providing clients for over 25 years. Transaction terms were not disclosed. About Worldwide Clinical Trials Worldwide Clinical Trials employs more than 1,600 professionals around the world, with offices in North and South America, Eastern and Western Europe, Russia, and Asia. Founded by physicians committed to advancing medical science, Worldwide is out to change how the world experiences CROs – in the best possible way. From early phase and bioanalytical sciences through late phase and post-approval, we provide world-class, full-service drug development services. With infrastructure and talent spanning 60 countries, we execute predictable, successful studies with operational excellence across a range of therapeutic areas, including central nervous system, cardiovascular, metabolic, immune-mediated inflammatory disorders (IMID), oncology and rare diseases. We never compromise on science or safety. We’re never satisfied with the status quo. We’re the Cure for the Common CRO. For more information, visit www.worldwide.com. About Continuum Clinical Continuum Clinical is a global patient recruitment and retention company. With over 25 years of experience, Continuum Clinical brings together a unique blend of world-class experience in key disciplines, including communications, site engagement, outreach programs, advocacy, patient insights and protocol feasibility. The company understands patients, healthcare professionals, sites, and their motivations, and uses these insights to guide the development and execution of proven patient recruitment and retention strategies, delivering results for life science organizations and accelerating study completion. Headquartered in the US, Continuum Clinical has over 100 employees in the US and Europe and an expanded worldwide network of resources. https://continuumclinical.com/ References[i] Industry Standard Research. Benchmarking the pharma industry’s HEOR function. 2nd ed. Published September 2017. [ii] Gottlieb S. Examining the impact of real-world evidence on medical product development. Oral presentation at: National Academy of Sciences; September 19, 2017; Washington, DC.
