Becoming a Sponsor of Choice: Key Insights from Clinical Research Site Leaders

In 2022, the demand for clinical research sites skyrocketed, and competition among pharmaceutical companies to secure top priority at these sites has intensified. The idea of "Sponsor of Choice" has emerged as a way to set themselves apart and attract the best research sites. In fact, Sponsors now place more importance on becoming a Sponsor of Choice, with 65% of sponsors considering it very important, up from just 14% in 2019¹. 

But what does this mean for the sites and how do they become a "Sponsor of Choice"? 

Site leaders have highlighted a surprising answer: transparent, honest, and frequent communication.

Lisa Bjornestad, VP of Clinical Operations at DM Clinical, believes that communication and an open relationship between sponsors and sites is critical. According to Lisa, "Having a relationship and having conversations and being able to have open exchanges is super important. I think just better clarity and insight into what's happening out there will be helpful.”

Andrew Kimball, Chief Commercial Officer at Velocity Clinical Research (formerly Meridian), highlights the importance of early communication. "The best way that we've seen to manage the process and have sponsors that we consider to be sort of our Sponsor of Choice, is really about communication and it's really about early communication,” he says. 

Andrew believes that having a clear understanding of the sponsor's study pipeline and long-term expectations is crucial for a successful partnership. He says, "It's important to understand the pipeline and expectations of the sponsors, not just for the short-term goals of the one or five trials we're currently working on, but for a year or two years down the line."

Karen Kolin, Senior Director Business Development at Accel Research, echoes these sentiments, stating that communication is key to becoming a sponsor of choice. Karen says, "From the very beginning when I'm working with business development, are they working with us on their pipeline? Are they keeping us abreast on what's coming down ahead of the game? Are they calling on us for medical oversight when they're developing a protocol? We'd love it if they would communicate and bring us on in the early stages.”

Karen stresses the significance of effective communication and openness in the feasibility assessment process. Despite the amount of effort required to conduct feasibility assessments for sponsors, there is a surprising absence of reciprocity. She asks,“This feasibility, are they communicating with us once we put it in? Are they answering our questions? And are they giving us feedback on why we didn't get accepted? Or why haven't we been selected yet?” 

Stephanie Ailey, VP of Business Development at Velocity Clinical Research, wants to break away from the traditional industry practice of not disclosing struggles, and instead, have a transparent and collaborative approach to resolve any issues that may arise during clinical trials. “Previously, in this industry, we didn't want to tell the sponsors where we're struggling.” she says.  “Our strongest partnerships are those who are transparent with us, as quickly as possible and as efficiently as possible, and we're transparent with them. What we found, for us, is that if we have those transparent conversations, you have other sites that have had these conversations, and we can work together to find you a plan. Or we overcome something that's in your other sites, and you can take that back to them. We're a collaborative partnership, and that's how we would like to work.”

The race to become a "Sponsor of Choice" in clinical research is heating up. As the demand for research sites continues to increase, pharmaceutical companies are searching for ways to build rapport and ensure their studies are prioritized. Site leadership has spoken and the answer is clear: communication is key. Effective communication, whether it's during the feasibility assessment process or through listening and implementing feedback from the sites, is essential in establishing open and transparent relationships between sponsors and sites. The industry should recognize the value of communication and strive to foster stronger, more collaborative partnerships.

Are you ready to become a "Sponsor of Choice" and take on the challenge? Let's rethink site relationships and work together to drive the future of clinical research forward.

¹ State of Site Enablement Report 2023