The theme for World Health Day 2024, reflecting that more than half the world’s population is not fully covered by essential health services, is ‘My health, my right.’ Disease, disasters, and manmade catastrophes increasingly threaten the right to health of millions worldwide. Strategies to tackle global public health priorities were upended during the COVID-19 public health emergency and need to get back on track. Beyond rapidly adapting for ongoing trials during the pandemic, contract research organizations (CROs) played a critical role in accelerating drug and vaccine development during and beyond those emergent times.

In celebration of World Health Day on April 7, 2024, let’s examine how CROs help accelerate drug development for public health.  

 

World Health Day & Public Health Priorities

World Health Day 2024 champions the right of everyone, everywhere, to have access to quality healthcare and necessities for a good quality of life, including decent working and environmental conditions and freedom from discrimination. Viewed holistically, addressing the issue of burning fossil fuels, for example, decreases its contribution to the climate crisis, helps restore our right to clean air, and reduces indoor and outdoor air pollution, which alarmingly claims a life every five seconds.

In the wake of COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that countries get back on track with pre-pandemic efforts to ensure their citizens have access to essential health services, including quality, safe, effective, and affordable essential medicines and health products.  

 

Role of CROs in Accelerating Drug Development

Although CROs may have started at the periphery of clinical research, CROs are now considered integral partners within the pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device industries. Working with CROs provides sponsors with scientific expertise, flexible solutions, and cost-effective options for running clinical trials in line with ethical and regulatory requirements, all in all, accelerating the development of innovative life-saving treatments to meet the urgent health needs of patients worldwide. 

 

CROs Prioritizing Public Health

Public health encompasses a wide range of efforts aimed at promoting and protecting the health of entire populations rather than individuals. It includes various activities and initiatives that address factors influencing health outcomes at the societal level, including environmental impact and health equity.

Contract Research Organizations (CROs), such as TFS HealthScience (TFS), are increasingly integrating sustainability practices into their operations as part of their commitment to public health. Through corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs, CROs like TFS align themselves with the public health priorities set out by the WHO concerning environmental, and workplace health. TFS provides a workplace that emphasizes equal opportunity and diversity and views employees as the company’s most important resource. Staying true to its values, TFS works with clients and partners who reflect the same values and commitment to CSR, including reducing the environmental impact of joint projects and collaborations.

In March 2024, TFS achieved a noteworthy milestone in its commitment to environmental transparency and sustainability: improving its Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) score from ‘D’ to ‘C.’   With a recorded 23,000+ companies disclosing through CDP in 2023, disclosing data on environmental impact is now a business norm. This accomplishment underscores TFS’s ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship, aligning its practices with evolving global standards while contributing to the broader public health agenda.

Additionally, CROs play a pivotal role in discovering and developing novel therapies that offer cost-effective alternatives outside the standard of care (SOC), thereby advancing health equity and promoting equitable access to resources and opportunities for all.

 

Role of CROs in Drug & Vaccine Development during COVID-19

The demands for rigor and compliance with ethical and regulatory requirements, and particularly for speed of clinical trial execution, intensified during the pandemic. CROs brought the expertise, experience, and ability to rapidly adapt to a clinical research environment fraught with uncertainties, unknowns, and change. Beyond adapting for ongoing trials, CROs played a critical role in the COVID-19 pandemic clinical trial race.

In 2022, a survey was conducted with CROs affiliated with the European CRO Federation (EUCROF). Of the 52 responses received, 77% stated that the pandemic resulted in changes in their internal organization, and 75% reported that the pandemic negatively impacted ongoing trials. To continue running existing trials, CROs quickly adapted their services by introducing virtual services, including patient recruitment, monitoring, and telemedicine. Survey respondents indicated that the main measures included converting physical visits to phone or video visits (82%) and extending the trial duration (82%).

The development of the COVID-19 vaccines and drugs was an unprecedented international effort facilitated by CROs. CROs brought their expertise and experience in developing clinical trial protocols, ensuring that trials complied with local, national, and international regulations, logistics, recruitment, enrollment, data collection and analysis, and co-creating drug development strategies for biotech companies with limited experience developing new drugs.

In the EUCROF survey, 65% of CROs responded that they had participated in drug and/or vaccine COVID-19 trials between 2020 and 2022, with 41% participating in two studies, 21% participating in five to ten studies, and 29% participating in more than ten studies. Most studies were large, involving thousands of participants. More recently, in September 2023, CRO ICON plc announced that it had been engaged by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to conduct a trial to evaluate next-gen COVID-19 vaccines.

In a time where there really was no time to lose or to make missteps, CROs enabled vaccine developers to quickly initiate, execute, and manage global clinical trials, playing a critical role in accelerating the development of COVID-19 vaccines and drugs.  

 

Drug Development for Public Health

CROs like ICON also play a role in accelerating drug development for public health by working with government agencies. The ICON Government and Public Health Solutions team provides CRO services to multiple U.S. government agencies and is a preferred BARDA partner. ICON has conducted over 200 government-sponsored clinical trials involving more than 17,000 patients across 360 dedicated government sites.

The Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi) is a not-for-profit research organization focused on developing new treatments for neglected patients. To address the global public health threat of Hepatitis C, for example, DNDi decided in 2016 to work towards creating a safe and effective direct-acting antiviral (DAA) that was accessible and affordable to all who needed it. The DNDi pursues an alternative pathway for drug development founded on collaborations with low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). Among its extensive list of industry partners and service providers, DNDi also works with CROs, namely Charles River Laboratories, Syneos Health, and WuXi AppTech, to research and develop various drugs. 

 

CROs Supporting Causes

In keeping with their mission to bring life-saving drugs to patients, CROs actively support different causes. Amongst others, OCT Clinical supports independent scientists working on effective ways to cure cancer by providing funding. MAC Clinical Research seeks to give back by supporting organizations like Macmillan Cancer Support, Mustard Tree, and Daisy Chain, some of which conduct research to understand the health needs of cancer patients better. Establishing connections with patient advocacy groups has the added benefit of directly impacting clinical research, as these relationships are an essential resource when developing patient-centric clinical trials.

CROs such as TFS Healthscience are dedicated to fostering philanthropy through initiatives that integrate their participation in conferences and events with a significant philanthropic component. With a mission deeply rooted in respect for the scientific community and a commitment to advancing global health, they commit to making donations to charities aligned with the themes of each event they attend. This commitment allows them to directly support research communities striving to deepen understanding and develop solutions across various health science fields. Among the charities they have partnered with and supported are Doctors Without Borders, the American Academy of Dermatology, St. Jude Children’s Hospital, and UNESCO.

Read more on TFS’s philanthropic efforts here!

Shaping the Future of Medicine Through Collaboration and Innovation

As we commemorate World Health Day, it’s essential to acknowledge the indispensable role of CROs in driving innovation, fostering collaboration, and accelerating progress toward improved global health outcomes. By facilitating clinical trials, embracing innovation, promoting sustainability, and advancing health equity, CROs continue to shape the future of medicine, bringing hope and healing to individuals and communities worldwide. As we look ahead, let us continue to support and celebrate the transformative impact of CROs on public health and well-being.

TFS HealthScience is a leading global mid-size CRO that partners with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies throughout their clinical development journey. In partnership with customers, TFS builds solution-driven teams working towards a healthier future.

Connect with a TFS representative to learn more about the expertise TFS can offer your next clinical trial.