5 Key Questions to Ask When Choosing a Preclinical Dermatology CRO
Today, more and more companies rely on Contract Research Organizations (CROs) for preclinical research, bioanalysis, and other R&D needs.
When choosing a CRO for your dermatology research project, you need to consider several key factors, from your prospective service provider’s experience with similar projects, to their infrastructure and quality assurance processes.
In this article, we will examine why you may need a preclinical dermatology CRO for your project, and five questions you should ask before making your choice.
Why Do You Need a Preclinical Dermatology CRO?
The research involved in the development and preclinical testing of new dermatology products is often too complex to conduct in-house, especially for smaller companies. To avoid the additional costs of assembling an in-house research team for every project, more businesses turn to Contract Research Organizations, or CROs.
Before you wonder “how do I choose the right dermatology CRO,” it is worth asking a fundamental question. Do you even need a dermatology CRO?
To answer, you need to clearly assess your company’s existing capabilities and the needs of the research project you want to undertake. If you determine that all of your project activities can be done in-house, or that any gaps can be closed with a small investment, your project may not need a CRO at this time.
On the other hand, if the needs of your project outstrip your own research capabilities, it makes financial sense to engage a Contract Research Organization (CRO). Given the complexity of research involved in modern-day dermatology product development, more and more companies are choosing this option.
Choosing the Right Dermatology CRO: 5 Questions to Ask
Once you have decided that working with a dermatology CRO is the right option for you, it’s time to create a shortlist of available service providers, request proposals, and compare their capabilities. Here are some of the questions that will help you find the right dermatology CRO for your project:
1. Does the CRO have the appropriate infrastructure?
This is fundamental.
Before partnering with a CRO, you want to be sure they have the facilities and staff necessary to support your project. The facilities and the different labs (cell culture lab, molecular biology lab, microbiology lab, etc.) must be appropriately accredited, all equipment properly maintained and calibrated, and all elements of the infrastructure compliant with any relevant research practice guidelines.
2. What is their experience and expertise?
Your chosen CRO’s employees (PhD, engineers, technicians) must have appropriate educational and professional background, experience, and training, specifically in the fields of skin and hair biology, immuno inflammation and cellular and molecular pharmacology
It is also worth checking if the CRO has experience in preclinical projects (acne, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, wound healing, canities, etc.) similar to yours: that way, you’re likely to benefit from increased efficiency in procedures and project management.
3. What quality assurance (QA) procedures are in place?
Any decision about a product’s safety or efficacy is made with the assumption that the research behind the data is solid. Quality assurance is, therefore, fundamental to good research practices.
You want to know what methods and procedures the CRO uses to confirm the quality of their work, and the results of any external audits by regulatory authorities.
4. How financially stable is the CRO?
Project delays and cancellations, which are frequent in the research business, can impact the cash flow of CRO companies.
Before settling on your choice of partner, you want to be confident that they are strong enough to weather various downturns while continuing to support your project.
5. Do they have a strong communication and project management culture?
It’s very important to have a dedicated point of contact in the CRO, and to know who exactly is responsible for your project. This is useful in the day-to-day and crucial when dealing with unexpected changes. Even the best-managed projects may need their schedules and budgets revised, and you want to be working with a team that can manage change proactively and effectively.
Partner with a Dermatology CRO That’s Right For You
At Bioalternatives, we are committed to assisting the health industry by offering competitive custom-oriented and collaborative innovation services, including a full range of solutions for the development of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and dermatological formulations.
We offer customized technical solutions to guide your product research, support the development of your dermatological products, and help you meet your preclinical research objectives. Our selection of services can be used to select and characterize your Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients, demonstrate the activity of your dermatological formulations, and test the safety of your products at an early stage (for R&D purposes only).
With our strong expertise in in vitro and ex vivo models, in skin and hair physiology and immuno inflammation, we are pleased to offer you dedicated project management support and consulting for your R&D process.
Ready to discuss a preclinical research program that will suit the needs of your business?