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8 BioPharm International May 2022 eBook www.biopharminternational.com The Essential Ingredient in Any Sponsor-CRO Partnership: Trust To build trust and ensure a high-quality product, companies must be sure their contracts are firm and their lines of communication even firmer. I t wasn't long ago that pharmaceutical companies did their own research and development in-house, from discov- ery through investigational new drug (IND) submission. Today, it's hard to find pharmaceutical companies of any size, from large global pharmaceutical entities down to the smallest biotech company, that has not outsourced some aspects of their work to a third-party organization, whether that be academic institutions, biotech startups, or contract research organizations (CROs). These relationships are likely to continue to grow exponentially. A new market report released this year estimates that the global biotechnology and pharmaceutical ser- vices outsourcing market will surpass US$91.4 billion by 2028 because of a 5.2% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) (1). Today, roughly two-thirds of R&D is being outsourced, with CROs growing dramatically to fill the gap. How can service providers and clients assure that the relationship will be mutually advantageous? What are some of the best practices to ensure a high-quality product? This article will look at how to ensure contracts are established and signed quickly so that science moves forward, why quality assur- ance (QA) is integral to meeting regulatory compliance, how compromise and coordination are necessary for any winning partnership, and whether geography is important given the globalization of today's economy. SIGNING CONTRACTS QUICKLY The outsourcing of preclinical research is a significant part of the product development landscape in the biopharma- ceutical sector. By one estimate, the global preclinical CRO PETER GASKIN, PhD, is the senior direc tor of scientific advisor y services for Charles River, an AAPS sustaining partner. PETER GASKIN Partnerships for Outsourcing Development lidiia - STOCK.ADOBE.COM