Sponsor to Investigator: From Protocol to Site-Mid Missouri SOCRA Lecture

Drawing on more than 30 years in academic medicine and sponsored clinical research, including operations, study design, strategy, and FDA regulatory interactions across more than 60 clients, Dr. Hinson examines the forces that shape relationships between pharmaceutical sponsors, investigators, and clinical sites. The session covers how drug development costs, patent timelines, and attrition rates drive sponsor decisions, the industry's shift from an integrated big-pharma model to today's ecosystem of small pharma, venture capital, and dominant CROs, and what makes principal investigators and sites attractive to sponsors for repeat business. By the end of this presentation, attendees will be able to: Explain how drug development factors drive sponsor decisions about study design, site selection, and investigator engagement. Describe how the sponsor-investigator relationship has evolved. Identify the site and investigator characteristics that sponsors and CROs use to award repeat contracts.