Save Time And Money By Using AI To Compare CRO Proposals

Throughout my career, I’ve often been asked, “How do you choose a CRO?” or “Which CROs are the best?” The truth is, there’s no simple answer to such a complex decision. Sponsor organizations invest millions of dollars and place significant trust in their CRO partners, making selection and ongoing oversight both critical and deserving of a thoughtful, proactive approach. Equally important, CROs seek genuine partnerships — not merely transactional relationships.

As an industry, however, we often rely on informal or inconsistent methods when choosing a CRO:

• Asking peers or colleagues for recommendations
• Conducting quick online searches
• Consulting industry articles or annual rankings
• Returning to vendors we’ve used before
• Opting for well-known “big name” organizations

While common, these approaches lack the rigor expected in an industry defined by regulation and precision. We have extensive guidance on clinical research conduct and vendor oversight — yet none on how to select the right CRO. It’s time we apply the same scientific discipline and strategic thinking to this decision as we do to every other part of drug development. There must be a smarter, more systematic way forward.