Advarra Announces Key Growth Milestone for The Gene Therapy Ready Network, Becoming Largest IBC Service

COLUMBIA, Md., June 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Advarra, the market leader in regulatory review solutions, research quality and compliance consulting services and clinical site-centric technologies, today announced the Advarra Gene Therapy Ready™ site network has grown to over 500 registered research sites, making Advarra the largest administrator of institutional biosafety committees (IBCs).  Launched in January 2021, the Gene Therapy Ready network is a collective of clinical research sites prepared to conduct clinical trials involving genetically engineered vaccines, gene-modified cellular therapies, and gene therapies. Sites in the network demonstrate their readiness to address the challenges and opportunities presented by an accelerating gene therapy market that is expected to grow globally by 16.6 percent in the 2020-2027 period.

Advarra's Gene Therapy Ready site network includes more than 500 research sites globally, including health systems, research institutions, National Cancer Institute (NCI) cancer centers, and private research sites that are registered with US National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Science Policy to use Advarra's IBC service. IBC registration ensures Gene Therapy Ready sites are ready for IBC and institutional review board (IRB) review as soon as site selection is finalized. When combined with Advarra's integrated IRB/IBC service, which has reviewed tens of thousands of protocols, the organization's 800+ team members and thousands of experts provide sites and sponsors with considerable scale and service for gene therapy, gene modified cellular therapy, and genetically engineered vaccine research.

"The unprecedented response to the launch of our Gene Therapy Ready network demonstrates the value Advarra's integrated research services bring to our industry partners as they pursue advanced genetic engineering to find cures for the world's most pressing health conditions," said Scott Uebele, President and Chief Research Services Officer at Advarra. "Our commitment to making clinical research safer, smarter, faster is unwavering, and we are proud to be recognized as the world's largest IBC bringing the best solutions for advancing research."

All Gene Therapy Ready sites are ready to enable industry sponsors to conduct clinical trials that advance cures, develop vaccines, and find treatments for rare disease. By placing clinical trials with a Gene Therapy Ready site, research sponsors can save significant time during study startup. Advarra recently published a case study with a large CRO who significantly improved study startup time by leveraging Advarra's IRB/IBC service. Another case study demonstrates how Advarra helped a research site network build a robust program for genetically engineered vaccine research.

"The growth of this innovative network is truly remarkable and a testament to the superior technology, service, and turnaround times we provide to the research community. By placing your study with the Gene Therapy Ready network, we can improve study startup times by a month or more, placing potential cures in the hands of patients faster," said James Riddle, Vice President of Research Services and Strategic Consulting at Advarra. "The Gene Therapy Ready site network provides our sponsor clients with a clear choice for integrated, centralized IBC and IRB review services."

About Advarra

Advarra advances the way clinical research is conducted: bringing life sciences companies, CROs, research sites, investigators, and academia together at the intersection of safety, technology, and collaboration. With trusted IRB and IBC review solutions, innovative technologies, experienced consultants, and deep-seated connections across the industry, Advarra provides integrated solutions that safeguard trial participants, empower clinical sites, ensure compliance, and optimize research performance. Advarra is advancing clinical trials to make them safer, smarter, and faster. For more information, visit www.advarra.com.

SOURCE Advarra