As a company committed to accelerating patient access to life-changing therapies through effective and market-specific clinical trial patient recruitment and retention strategies, it was a natural step for Innovative Trials to expand its operations into the US by opening an office in Raleigh’s famous Research Triangle in North Carolina. Two years on, Eloise Moffett, Innovative Trials’ Vice President of Commercial, reflects on how the company’s growing presence in the US is transforming client relationships and its ability to provide the best patient-centric clinical trial patient recruitment and retention solutions for the US market.
Eloise, how has opening a US office boosted Innovative Trials’ growth in the last two years?
Since our inception in 2010, we’ve had a very strong presence in Europe. However, our expansion into the US, which we instigated two years ago with the establishment of our office in North Carolina’s famous Research Triangle, has really accelerated our growth. We’ve seen a substantial increase in our US client base, which is a testament to our team’s hard work and the quality of our services. This growth isn’t just about numbers though; it’s about deeper engagement with our existing partners who also operate in the US, allowing us to provide more cohesive support across continents.
When you joined Innovative Trials in 2022, what was your vision for the company in the US?
My vision was to tap into the vast potential of the US market because I knew our services could fill a critical gap; there aren’t very many that offer the all-round service that we do. But it’s not just about business growth; it’s about making a meaningful impact on clinical trial patients. That’s why the Retention Patch Program, a partnership with Oliver Patch Project which focuses on supporting children in clinical trials, has been a real highlight for me. It has reaffirmed that our commercial strategy focuses on community impact rather than just sales, a direction I’m proud Innovative Trials has always taken.
What challenges have you faced in establishing a presence in the US clinical trials market?
It’s been a journey with its fair share of hurdles. The US clinical trials market is enormous and highly competitive. Post-COVID, the industry is in flux, with decision-makers changing roles and companies reassessing their vendor relationships, including long-standing ones. It hasn’t been easy even to offer new and innovative services like the Navigator, but ultimately our services have been extremely welcomed. The pharma industry is increasingly trying to put patients at the forefront, so our unique patient-focused offerings, like the Patient Support Center for Referral Pre-Screening & Retention (Navigator) and our Retention Patch Program, have been well received. We’ve also adapted our marketing strategies to resonate with the US clientele, learning from cultural nuances and healthcare system intricacies.
How has the US presence improved Innovative Trials’ services?
Before the establishment of our office, our US presence involved several Clinical Enrollment Managers (CEMs) working remotely across the country. But our CEMs are very much in-country ‘boots-on-the-ground’ support for sites; they wouldn’t necessarily have a clear relationship with our clients. Now, we’re able to engage with clients face-to-face, respond to their needs in real-time, and even join them for lunch meetings. Having the ability to meet clients face-to-face is incredibly important to us. We pride ourselves on being able to build relationships and trust with the sites we support and we want to do the same from a commercial point of view with our clients. Meeting someone in person is a completely different experience to speaking to them online, so we have focused on making this a priority. More generally, our presence has enriched our understanding of patient pathways in the US, which are vastly different from the UK and other European countries due to the lack of a centralized healthcare system like the NHS in the UK. For me, I suffer from asthma, so I’m able to call up an Allergy and Asthma specialist and make an appointment. I don’t need to see a GP first like you might need to in the UK. If you need a blood draw, or blood test, you don’t have to just go to your GP or a hospital setting, you can go somewhere else like Walgreens (a pharmacy chain in the US). This first hand knowledge allows us to tailor our services to the unique US healthcare environment, enhancing our patient recruitment strategies and ensuring a more patient-centric approach.
Looking ahead, what are your future goals for Innovative Trials in the US?
Our ambition is to replicate the success of our UK operations in the US to further solidify our commitment to the US market. This would include growing our employee base and establishing dedicated teams for operations, finance, HR, and more. I would also like to grow our sales team and have more US-based Business Development Directors and Proposal Managers. By replicating all the good service that we do from the UK, it will ensure we can serve our clients to the best of our ability across multiple time zones – not just in the UK and US but the rest of Europe and APAC as well.
Do you envision Innovative Trials opening offices in other countries beyond the US?
While additional offices could be beneficial, our current focus is on strengthening our project management presence globally. By having more project managers – our CEMs – in-country, we can offer localized insights and support, which is crucial for navigating different healthcare systems, regulatory landscapes and cultural contexts. This in-country 1:1 approach aligns with our commitment to providing personalized and patient-centric services worldwide.
At Innovative Trials, we are committed to delivering meaningful and effective clinical trial patient recruitment and engagement strategies that puts study participants at the heart of everything we do. Find out more about the difference we are making to our clients in the US and beyond.