| Contract research organizations or CRO had steadily | | | | and developmental research, new obstacles like |
| gained success and achieved a top position. With its | | | | funding issues and patent problems harrowed the |
| successful foray into the pharma and biotechnology | | | | companies. The year 2008 also saw major cost |
| sector, it had translated into profits for investors. This | | | | cutting moves like employee lay offs, postponing |
| all is now a thing of past and no longer prevails, the | | | | projects to the next year, change the company focus |
| scene has completely changed. | | | | from product development to later-stage drug |
| What paved way for their winning streak, was | | | | development programs. |
| outsourcing projects meant cutting costs for | | | | Owing to all this, the CRO's faced the flak and resulted |
| pharmaceutical companies; workforce and revenue | | | | in stock prices hitting an all time low and their downfall |
| could be re-directed towards other avenues and aided | | | | began. There is another side to it, sacking of |
| the research process. CRO's initiated researched, | | | | employees from the pharmaceutical industry meant |
| prepared reports at every stage, conducted detailed | | | | that more workforce ready to work for lower salaries |
| quality analysis and ensured that all was in sync with | | | | was made available to the CRO's, but it also meant |
| the rules and procedures laid down by FDA. | | | | there was a constant pressure on the CRO's to |
| CRO's offer a wide range of services to the | | | | survive and emerge as a successful venture. |
| pharmaceutical companies; right from product planning | | | | The highlight and a point to be noted is rather than |
| like drug development, drug formulation, clinical research | | | | focusing on cost of human resources, companies need |
| including conducting clinical trials, clinical research and | | | | to ensure a quality of staff hired. |
| other stages like Sample collection, medical writing | | | | If the trend continues, it will eventually lead to many |
| services, preclinical, toxicology, and clinical laboratory | | | | more issues and problems and will affect not only the |
| services. Prepare extensive documentation required | | | | economy but will also result in lesser research and |
| for the approval like Abbreviated New Drug | | | | development; the latter issue is more important as it |
| Application (ANDA), or Biologic License Application | | | | addressed the health industry that is important and vital |
| (BLA). CRO's efficiently and more importantly | | | | for any nation. |
| cost-effectively handled everything. | | | | One more hassle is the struggle and danger awaiting |
| However, from 2008, the trend changed and hiring | | | | the workers belonging to the clinical research sector |
| services of Contract research organizations declined | | | | and medical sectors is 'What next'? They have to |
| and came to a grinding halt. There were major layoffs | | | | explore different avenues to keep pace with the |
| across the pharmaceutical industry. | | | | changing trends and situation or face lay-off and |
| The guidance affected everything. Though the | | | | unemployment or work for lesser salary. |
| companies continued its pursuit of new drug discovery | | | | |