Clinical Research And The Gig Economy: The Shift To A Functional, Flexible, And Fractional Workforce

Did you ever take an Uber home, or stay at an AirBnB while traveling in another city? If you have, then you’ve participated in what’s called “the gig economy.” While dominated by the transportation and wage sectors, the pharmaceutical and biotech industries have recently begun adopting the gig economy business model for support in clinical trials.

For decades, most major pharmaceutical and biotech companies relied heavily on full-service outsourcing to bring new drugs and therapeutics to market. This business model used contract research organizations (CROs) to complete the full range of clinical trial activities.

The last five years, however, have witnessed a noticeable shift in the way that pharmaceutical and biotech companies allocate their resources and delegate clinical trial responsibilities. Instead of, or in addition to employing a full-service CRO, teams are choosing to enlist the help of a functional service provider (FSP). Discover how one provider has redefined the FSP model to accommodate demand from both sponsor companies and employees for a more flexible work environment.