Pivotal
Weaving Scientific Insights with Technology

Pharma and Biotech companies today face diverse and debatable challenges pertaining to the “research & development” process itself while developing novel medicines. This is primarily happening because of the changing customer behaviour, expansion of the “self-medication” sector, and the new prevention policies adopted by governments. Also, new technologies, on the one hand, and the COVID-19 pandemic on the other, are demanding the re-thinking of old in-house procedures, which walk close together with the handling of clinical trials from a new “virtual” or “decentralized” perspective. Thus, the CROs providing support to Bio-Pharma, have to manoeuvre to accommodate their capabilities and services to the new demands. That’s where Pivotal can help.

Founded back in November 2001 as a European-focused CRO, Pivotal has the knowledge and experience to provide clients with high-quality services across the entire spectrum and value chain of drug development activities—from start-up to completion of the corresponding final study report. “We have put together an experienced and committed team of professionals and are currently able to cover all the critical aspects behind the initiation and conduction of a clinical trial,” says Dr Ibrahim Farr, the Chairman and CEO at Pivotal. Started on the principle that strategic medical advice and support should be the backbone of all clinical trials, Pivotal has grown to become a trusted adviser and counsellor as well as a doer for delivering maximum value in drug development programs.

Pivotal provides a complete portfolio of services that include regulatory affairs and study start-up, clinical trial monitoring and sites/projects management, data management and biostatistics, medical monitoring, PVG Services, quality assurance and auditing, and biotech consultancy. The company offers these services in a variety of outsourcing models—from a single source to full-service—but always ensuring flexibility to its clients.

We have put together an experienced and committed team of professionals and are currently able to cover all the critical aspects behind the initiation and conduction of any clinical trial

Also, Pivotal’s Senior Management provides strong scientific development expertise, with an important global background acquired in their previous affiliations to Pharma companies. “Our senior management is, nevertheless, absolutely approachable to our clients and is always directly involved in the clinical studies to help achieve more predictable deliverables,” mentions Dr Farr.

As a 200-strong boutique European CRO, Pivotal has been selected by Pharma-Biotechs several times lately to rescue trials from large CROs. When compared to its competitors, the company’s strengths come not only from its technical and scientific-medical expertise and knowledge across all therapeutic areas but also from the internal culture and the way Pivotal approaches clients and their concerns from a personal perspective. “All these factors together make Pivotal a good partner to consider when selecting a CRO,” states Dr Farr.

While Pivotal has set itself as a market leader, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced the company to adapt to new remote working culture. Many of its studies have been impacted by COVID-19, but none has been particularly delayed or cancelled even during these trying times. “At Pivotal we had already managed several different trials involving the use of advanced “technology” for data capturing and recording,” adds Dr Farr. He further states that the future will surely bring new challenging and stimulating opportunities to collaborate in the development of new cures, treatments and diagnostic tools. This will help patients to have much better and happier lives. “We are making our best to place Pivotal in a leading position in all matters relative to adopting the new coming technological clinical trials paradigm that we all players of health research will have to embrace, sooner than later,” concludes Mr. Farr.