Company clinical informatics VP, Steve Powell, told Outsourcing-pharma.com why PRA plans to maintain a strong presence in traditional markets just days after the contract research organisation (CRO) opened an expanded clinical data hub in Swansea, Wales.
“One of PRA’s objectives is to try and maintain services in the traditional Western markets, such as Western Europe and the US, unlike competitors who have moved into the East.
“We are focused on maintaining costs in a different way by keeping the traditional market place at the core of what we do and utilizing innovation and technological advances to our customers to provide efficiency and cost savings rather than just lower the cost base and continue to use the same processes.”
The Swansea site is a good example of PRA’s strategy. The facility will handle data from clinical trials run in 65 countries covering multiple therapeutic indications according to Powell, include those conducted in the East with new partner Wuxi Pharmtech and by recent acquisition, Clinstar.
Clinical Cymru
PRA has had a base in Swansea since 1996 when it established a 5 person team with support from a Welsh development grant. In the 17 years since the CRO has increased its workforce to 100 employees with skills in data management, programming, biostatistics, medical writing and support.
The latest expansion – also supported by a grant – will allow PRA to hire an additional 100 employees according to Powell, who explained that the firm wants to attract local expertise.
“The location of the new facility is more about talent than anything else. The University links in South Wales provide PRA with the people resources the company needs to be able to provide the services for the future.
“It is great to be able to invest into technology to make our teams more efficient and provide innovation and the support of the Welsh Government has helped with this tremendously. The grant money will help expand the jobs for graduates in region. We will continue to focus effort into Swansea to take advantage of the talent pool available and the economic benefits available from the area.”
Specific skills PRA is after range from biological sciences and mathematics to database design, electronic data capture and programming Powell continued.
“The programming efforts will focused around those of Database Design within industry standard EDC systems and the use of SAS programming in the delivery of CDISC standard Datasets and Tables, Listings and Figures which are supported by our innovative EXACT product in management of Libraries and Standards.”