Dermatological conditions encompass a wide spectrum of diseases, including common concerns such as acne and atopic dermatitis, as well as more severe and potentially life-threatening conditions like melanoma. As of 2021, skin diseases were the fourth most common cause of human disease, affecting over 33% of the global population. Despite this visibility, the burden of dermatology conditions is often underestimated, but in reality, they have a profound negative impact on patients both in terms of quality of life and psychological well-being. The widespread prevalence and significant impact of these diseases underscores the need for continuous research and innovation in the field of dermatology.

Contract research organizations (CROs) play an indispensable role in driving advancements in this field, evidenced by the fact that the global market for dermatology CROs is expected to reach US$7.04 billion by 2028 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.9% (2021-2028). Dermatology CROs are crucial partners for sponsors for their comprehensive support at the preclinical and clinical development phases. These organizations are highly valued for delivering expert knowledge, state-of-the-art digital solutions, and efficient management of dermatology clinical trials.

In this article, we highlight the top 10 best dermatology CROs, in no particular order, that are leading the path in developing innovative dermatology therapies.

1. Innovaderm Research, a Specialized Dermatology CRO

Innovaderm is a full-service dermatology CRO that has positioned itself as a top CRO in the field with its commitment to developing innovative treatments for skin diseases. With nearly 25 years of experience in dermatology clinical research, this company surpasses expectations in managing complex projects, particularly for late-phase studies (Phase 2B-3). The dermatology experts at Innovaderm ensure sponsors are well-supported to successfully meet regulatory requirements, overcome patient and site recruitment challenges, and collect quality patient data.

Since its inception, Innovaderm has run over 500 dermatology clinical trials in more than 30 indications, including acne, allergic contact dermatitis, alopecia, bacterial infections, and more.  The CRO currently works with 3,100 investigators, and their studies have involved nearly 85,000 participants worldwide. Their geographical coverage extends to North America, Europe, and Asia, and their expertise covers a wide range of drug classes, including the New Chemical Entity (NCE), biologics, dermal fillers, natural health products, and cannabinoid derivatives, among others. Lastly, Innovaderm offers expertise and a proven track record in unique clinical studies such as Proof-of-Concept and First-in-Man single-center and multicenter trials.

2. PPD Dermatology CRO

PPD is another CRO that is setting a high standard for dermatology clinical trial services as a result of their extensive experience, patient-centric approach, and innovative, adaptable trial designs. Their dedicated Dermatology CRO holds a strong background in drug development for skin diseases, having conducted over 65 dermatology trials, enrolled more than 7,400 patients, and collaborated with over 1,050 investigators worldwide. In the past five years, PPD’s dermatology team has conducted trials for 28 pharmaceutical and biotech companies worldwide, including North America, South America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific.

The company also acknowledges the importance of patient-centricity in dermatology trial designs, particularly in this field, due to the psychological distress that these patients often face. Interestingly, PPD has demonstrated its unique expertise utilizing the decentralized model in dermatology studies, using solutions like e-consent, televisits, and remote assessments to complete clinical trials remotely without compromising efficiency. This hybrid blend of on-site and remote trial activities ensures that PPD remains adaptable and can efficiently evolve its study delivery with the needs of patients globally.

3. ethica Dermatology CRO

ethica is another CRO with a variety of therapeutic areas of expertise, including dermatology. Their Dermatology CRO has a deep understanding of the unique challenges of studying skin diseases, a proven track record in the field, and a comprehensive suite of CRO specialized services. ethica is made up of leading experts and clinical trial professionals, enabling the company to cover a wide range of dermatological conditions: medical dermatology, such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and seborrheic dermatitis; and aesthetic dermatology, which comprises fillers, botulinum toxin, topical retinoids, laser/light treatments, and more.

Since their founding, ethica has a strong portfolio of over 170 dermatology clinical trials, half of which were focused on treating fine lines and wrinkles (19%), acne (19%), and psoriasis (12%). Notably, this CRO successfully designed and managed a double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled pivotal study that led to the first approval of a dermal filler for the treatment of acne scars by the United States Food and Drug Administration (U.S. FDA). Sponsors can expect to benefit from the company’s wide range of services, with support teams for medical writing, study management and monitoring, medical affairs, and biostatistics across Phase I-IV clinical trials.

4. TFS HealthScience Dermatology CRO

TFS HealthScience is a global mid-size CRO uniquely recognized for possessing the agility and adaptability of smaller organizations combined with the comprehensive capabilities and global footprint of a mid-size CRO. Their track record of nearly 250 dermatology studies across over 20 countries demonstrates the company’s history of success with navigating Phase I-IV, RWE, and Medical Device clinical trials with stellar efficiency. TFS has successfully supported 7 approved dermatology drugs, including Biologics.

The CRO operates a dedicated dermatology unit that covers a variety of DIIDs (Dermatology, Immunology, & Inflammatory Diseases). Among the many indications this CRO has supported, they can cover rosacea, psoriasis, pruritus, hair loss, burns, wound care, and many more. As a full-service CRO, TFS provides sponsors access to expert teams with experience in a broad spectrum of skin disorders, cosmetic dermatology, transdermal drug trials, and various types of dermatologic drug development.

When dermatology sponsors partner with TFS, they get access to the company’s vast global network of key opinion leaders (KOLs), composed of more than 6,000 clinical research sites and nearly 60,000 patients in participation. They also have in-house experts and a TFS-owned in-house clinic in Hamburg, Germany, to deliver top results with site start-up, patient access, recruitment, and retention. The full-service team at TFS is made up of project managers, physicians, start-up teams, clinical research associates (CRAs), data managers, and medical monitors who are dedicated to delivering high-quality clinical development services. This unit is headed by Ina Zschocke, Vice President of the DIID unit at TFS.

Read to the end of this article to learn more about Ina and her accomplishments, or click here.

5. Symbio Proinnovera, a Specialized Dermatology CRO

Symbio Proinnovera is a client-focused global full-service CRO that offers in-house core services to manage all aspects of clinical trials, particularly in the field of dermatology. These services encompass project management, data management, medical monitoring services, site selection, and subject recruitment. They offer expertise in Proof-of-Concept and Phase I-IV clinical studies, and the dermatology team has an excellent track record consisting of over 150 dermatology clinical trials across North America, Europe, and Latin America. With the help of 1200 investigative sites, including more than 85,000 subjects, Symbio Proinnovera’s support has led to 50 approvals by the FDA. The company specializes in a wide range of dermatology diseases, including acne, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, actinic keratosis, onychomycosis, and more.

6. Medpace Dermatology CRO

Medpace is a mid-size CRO recognized worldwide that runs a dedicated Dermatology CRO and has established a strong foothold in dermatology clinical trials. For over 30 years, Medpace’s dermatology team has been driving success for its clients with their in-depth understanding of managing clinical trials for dermatologic conditions. Their key indications include psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, wound care, acne, vitiligo, burns, prurigo nodularis, and more.

Medpace recognizes how complex dermatology clinical trials are, and as a result, they proactively anticipate and creatively approach study design and patient recruitment, even studies dealing with rare skin diseases and pediatric populations. Beyond their medical expertise in skin diseases, this leading CRO also has cross-functional teams made up of physicians, imaging specialists, and operational and regulatory experts. This vast pool of knowledge enables Medpace to optimize the design and conduct of their clients’ dermatology clinical trials. One feature of this company that stands out is its Medpace Core Labs unit, which provides imaging services that are typically needed to better capture skin diseases like vitiligo in clinical trial participants.

7. Premier Research Dermatology CRO

Premier Research is a mid-sized CRO that has a rich background in dermatology clinical trials, with over 110 studies conducted and 13,200 patients worked with over the past five years. These trials have covered a broad spectrum of skin conditions, from acne and eczema to severe cases of metastatic melanoma. In addition to their breadth of experience, Premier Research has demonstrated considerable success in navigating complex dermatology studies, as seen in their track record of accelerating trial timelines by up to 25 percent through rapid start-up and recruitment.

In terms of their overall CRO services, the company provides guidance at each stage of the process, from rapid study start-up to project management and fast-track application expertise. Their portfolio includes Phase I-IV clinical trials, and they offer their clients a skilled team of therapeutically focused professionals who have firm knowledge and experience in comprehensive project and clinical trial management [11]. Overall, Premier Research’s extensive experience and expertise, as well as wide range of specialties in clinical research and development, has made them one of the best CROs for dermatology clinical trials.

8. Parexel Dermatology CRO

Unlike many of the CROs on our list, Parexel prefers to approach inflammation and immunology conditions with a unified focus on the drug’s mechanism of action, rather than as separate medical subspecialties. For this reason, the company runs its dermatology clinical trials as a part of its Inflammation and Immunology CRO. These trials cover a wide range from early-phase studies conducted in their own Early Phase Clinical Units (EPCUs) to global Phase II-IV studies.

Over the past five years, they have carried out more than 90 dermatology clinical projects, enrolling over 25,000 patients, as well as holding the record for conducting the largest Phase III moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis program to date. Although Parexel has therapeutic expertise in common dermatologic conditions like acne, psoriasis, and atopic dermatitis, they have also shown proficiency in more niche diseases like vitiligo, hidradenitis suppurativa, and prurigo nodularis. Lastly, this leading CRO offers dermatology sponsors a strong background in First-in-Human studies, late-phase studies, regulatory consulting, and post-marketing research.

9. Biorasi Dermatology CRO

Biorasi is a prominent CRO with over 15 years of experience in managing studies in dermatology, particularly with special expertise in indications like atopic dermatitis, acne, rosacea, psoriasis, as well as rare dermatology diseases. In addition, Biorasi has a scientific advisory board comprising industry experts and KOLs who provide critical support and guidance to pharmaceutical companies conducting dermatology research. As a full-service CRO, Biorasi is geared towards delivering clinical trials on time and on budget.

As a testament to their success, the company boasts an ability to achieve site start-up two times faster, database build in 6 weeks or less, enrollment eight times faster, and database lock in 4 weeks or less. As a globally operating company, they provide their clients access to patient populations in over 100 countries. Lastly, Biorasi is leading the way in implementing a decentralized approach to clinical trials, offering a complete toolkit to support the remote patient experience by speeding up recruitment, increasing patient retention and compliance, and improving data quality with real-time data collection tools.

10. ICON Dermatology CRO

The last company on our list is one of the largest and most well-recognized CROs in the market worldwide, particularly in the field of dermatology. ICON carries an impressive dermatology team consisting of over 400 experienced professionals, including an expert team of more than 80 project managers and board-certified physicians who provide medical monitoring. They also have dedicated data management and statistics team members with extensive dermatology study experience.

Over the last decade, ICON has conducted 115 dermatology studies involving 59,167 patients across 5,825 sites worldwide across a broad spectrum of indications such as atopic dermatitis, hidradenitis suppurativa, pruritus, aesthetics, skin infections, and more. This leading CRO offers end-to-end services supporting the development of products to treat dermatological diseases. Their services entail supporting patient recruitment, medical imaging, central laboratory services, biostatistical analysis, site selection, and engagement, among others.

Notably, ICON also offers its clients access to its dedicated global site network, Accellacare, which provides assistance with early-phase research, adaptive study design, expedited study start-up, and patient recruitment and engagement. 

Conclusion 

The top 10 dermatology CROs highlighted here are at the forefront of dermatology research, offering extensive expertise, innovative solutions, and dedicated support to sponsors around the world. Although each of these companies provides its own approach to driving innovation in dermatology clinical trials, they all have demonstrated a strong commitment to advancing this field and improving outcomes for patients with skin diseases. As such, these organizations are playing an indispensable role in driving the growth of the global market for dermatology CROs and therapeutics.

About TFS HealthScience CRO 

TFS HealthScience is a global CRO with an established foothold in therapeutic research for skin diseases. Our team of clinical experts supports biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies throughout their entire clinical development journey. Learn more about the dermatology expertise TFS can offer for your next dermatology clinical trial, or connect with a TFS representative today!