PRA International is an independent Contract Research Organization (CRO). We work with pharmaceutical companies to help them develop new drugs. This research conforms to the highest international regulations and the highest quality standards.
PRA is one of the world's leading clinical development organizations with more than 2,700 employees worldwide providing reliable service delivery, program-level therapeutic expertise, easy global access to knowledge and involved senior management to our customers.
PRA International has clinics in the USA (Lenexa), Netherlands (Groningen, Zuidlaren), as well as throughout Europe. Services include phase I and Phase II research.
Clinical Research at PRA International
Human research for drug development exists in four phases:
Phase I studies are primarily concerned with assessing the drug's safety. This initial phase of testing is generally first in man, and is done in a small number of healthy volunteers (20 to 100). The study is designed to determine what happens to the drug in the human body, how it is absorbed, metabolized, and excreted. A phase I study will investigate side effects that occur as dosage levels are increased.
Phase II/III: This phase of testing may last from several months to two years, and involve up to several hundred patients. This phase is done to test drug effectiveness.
Phase IV: This final phase of testing is done to compare a drug with other drugs already on the market. Studies are often designed to monitor a drug’s long-term effectiveness and optimal use. Post-marketing studies to delineate additional information including the drug's risks, benefits, and optimal use.
PRA International conducts research in Phase I and Phase II. These studies are performed in our own clinics in the USA and Europe.