Contract research organisations (CROs) are companies that are contracted to provide support to pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device companies to successfully complete product development. This includes, but is not limited to, clinical trial operation, patient recruitment and the design of protocols. More than 500 clinical trials have been initiated in 2024 using a CRO, with ICON the most used.
ICON is a contract research organisation headquartered in Ireland that provides specialised services that span the entire lifecycle of product development. ICON’s service portfolio comprises adaptive trials, biosimilars, clinical research services, commercialisation and outcomes, consulting, provision of functional services, medical imaging, resourcing solutions and laboratory services, strategic support, and tactical solutions for traditional, in vitro diagnostic and software devices.
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More than 500 clinical trials have been initiated in 2024 using a CRO
68% of ICON clinical trials are currently ongoing, with the most recent commencing on 5 August 2024. The Phase I trial, A Study to Evaluate Zilucoplan Injected Subcutaneously Either by a Prefilled Syringe or an Auto-injector in Healthy Adult Participants, will be sponsored by Belgian company UCB and is expected to end in November 2024.
The main drug candidate being tested is zilucoplan, an immunosuppressive agent formulated as a solution for the subcutaneous route of administration for the treatment of myasthenia gravis. The trial will look to enroll a total of 14 patients at the Pharmaceutical Research Associate Group BV, located in Groningen, the Netherlands.
ICON has three planned clinical trials for the last four months of 2024: Phase I trials for the treatment of ulcerative colitis and Covid-19, and a Phase II trial for the treatment of dengue fever.
