A CRO is a Contracts Research Organization (Contract Research Organization). It is a type of company hired by another company to offer its trial management services and clinical studies to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology or food industry.

A CRO is a Contracts Research Organization (Contract Research Organization). It is a type of company hired by another company to offer its trial management services and clinical studies to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology or food industry.

The companies and organizations that contract the services of the CROs do so to acquire specific experience and knowledge without the need to hire permanent staff. When companies or public entities subcontract to a CRO, it reduces the time necessary to perform a trial or clinical study compared to conducting a trial or study internally. This translates into significant cost savings for the company itself, since infrastructure or labor is not needed for the conduct of clinical trials.

Some CROs elaborate almost all aspects of a trial or clinical study, from the preparation and monitoring of the study to the final regulatory approval of the Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency.

Although the promoter who subcontracts to a CRO may transfer and delegate all aspects to be performed in a clinical trial, he remains responsible for the integrity of the trial data to ensure that Good Clinical Practice standards and Harmonization Guides that apply ensure the quality of the study.