Triangle CROs adopt innovative methods to recruit clinical trial patients

Companies that help pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies conduct clinical trials are increasingly focused on unclogging what can be a major bottleneck – recruiting sufficient numbers of patients willing to test an experimental drug in a reasonable period of time.

The stakes are high for these contract research organizations, or CROs – an industry that is centered in the Triangle and ranks among the area’s largest employers. The stakes are so high, in fact, that these companies have been adopting innovative recruitment methods – among other things, working with Big Data, social media and online patient communities – to boost their batting average and satisfy their customers.