Sponsored Research at Tufts CSDD
As part of its broad research agenda, the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development conducts Sponsored Research on a wide variety of topics identified by individual or multiple companies. Sponsored Research typically focuses on operational or R&D management issues, and may entail creation of a multi-company working group, survey creation, collection of company data, and publication of aggregate analyses. Individual participating companies may also receive customized reports, comparing their benchmarks against an industry mean.
Tufts CSDD brings broad expertise, creativity, and over 35 years of experience to its Sponsored Research program. Here are some examples of what we offer:
- Primary and Secondary Research - including surveys, executive and opinion leader interviews, focus groups, and original and secondary data analyses.
- Facilitated Roundtables and Management Meetings - including small and large group conference-style presentations and moderated discussions held onsite at the sponsor organization or at a neutral location (for example at Tufts CSDD’s own conference facility).
- White Papers and Custom Management Reports - including the compilation of source information, and the review and analysis of significant R&D trends. Tufts CSDD will work closely with the sponsor organizations throughout the process. At the conclusion of the project, Tufts CSDD will prepare a summary report* that may be submitted for publication in a trade or peer-review journal, as well as customized reports for sponsoring organizations.
* Note that the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development publishes aggregate analyses only; individual companies, drugs, and proprietary data are never identified.
The following are examples of Sponsored Research recently conducted by Tufts CSDD:
- Benchmark study on capacity planning, economics, and forecasting [Multi-Company Working Group]
- Market sizing, structure, and trends analysis
- Clinical trial efficiency assessment: analysis of protocol complexity and amendments [Multi-Company Working Group]
- Quantitative assessment of the impact of clinical outsourcing on development performance, quality, and cost [Multi-Company Working Group]
- Assessment of various R&D strategies and management practices
- Long-range projection on adoption of new practices, technologies, and innovations
- Opportunities for improved R&D efficiency and effectiveness [Multi-Company Working Group]
Multi-Company Working Groups
Meeting industry’s goal of improved R&D efficiency often depends on the willingness of individual companies to share with their industry peers insights gleaned from experiences with different R&D operating models and strategies. Moreover, by sharing internal drug development metrics, timely and reliable industry-wide benchmarks can be generated, which can lead to operational changes and improved performance.
As an independent and neutral academic research group, Tufts CSDD is in a unique position to convene such a group of companies, collect and analyze proprietary data, solicit insights, and prepare objective reports. We call this our Multi-Company Working Group program, and it has led to the creation of many compelling analyses, invaluable benchmarks, and novel insights into the drug development process.
Studies Currently Open for Company Enrollment
Multi-Company Working Groups meet at Tufts CSDD offices in Boston to refine project goals, finalize surveys, review results, and generate discussion and insight. [Note that Tufts CSDD will only share aggregate data and analyses; individual companies, drugs, and proprietary data are never identified.]
The following Multi-Company Working Group projects are just getting underway. Space is still available for additional companies. For more details, or to participate in a study, contact Stella Stergiopoulos at Tufts CSDD.
Study on the Clinical Trial Planning and Budgeting Process: Tufts CSDD is conducting a study looking to benchmark current clinical study budget and resource planning and forecasting practices. The goals of this study are to gather baseline planning and forecasting process metrics; identify areas that sponsor companies believe are most in need of improvement, and to glean best practice planning and forecasting insights.
Tufts CSDD invites pharmaceutical and biotechnology company executives responsible for study planning and forecasting to complete an online survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/5RFHM9Z. Participation should take between 20 and 30 minutes. All study participants will receive a summary report providing benchmarks on company planning and forecasting practices. In addition, all participants will have an opportunity to attend a management round table later this year to discuss the results and their implications for ways to improve study planning and forecasting effectiveness and efficiency.
Outsourcing Model Experience Survey: Tufts CSDD is embarking on a new study looking at sponsor company experiences with, and impact-to-date from various outsourcing models, implementation challenges and steps taken to improve upon these models. We are bringing together a working group of between 12 and 15 mid- to large-sized pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to participate in the study by helping to shape the methodology, contribute data for benchmarking, and discuss the results and their implications. Johnson & Johnson and Otsuka have already agreed to participate. We expect the study findings to provide critical insights into current outsourcing practices and models and ways to strengthen the effectiveness of these models in the future. Each participating company will be asked to contribute a modest fee to cover Tufts CSDD staff time.
- The initial kick-off meeting will be held at Tufts CSDD’s office in early March. Please contact Stella Stergiopoulos before February 24, 2012 if interested in participating.
For more information about Tufts CSDD Sponsored Research, click here.