DURHAM, N.C., Feb. 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Society for Clinical Research Sites (SCRS) and Fortrea (Nasdaq: FTRE), a leading global contract research organization (CRO), are pleased to announce Fortrea’s sponsorship of the SCRS Collaborate Forward working group.

Comprising 16 leading Global Impact Partner organizations, the Collaborate Forward working group will explore and develop best practices to reduce administrative burdens across the clinical research ecosystem. The group is committed to fostering transparency and collaboration to tackle challenges faced by clinical research sites. By improving internal processes, it aims to make sites more sustainable and trials more efficient—ultimately leading to a smoother experience for patients.

Fortrea’s sponsorship marks a significant investment in fostering industry-wide innovation and reflects the company’s dedication to placing sites at the forefront of clinical trial planning.

“We are excited to partner with SCRS to launch and support this working group,” said Mike Clay, senior vice president of Global Project Delivery at Fortrea. “Clinical trials are becoming increasingly complex, and the industry faces mounting pressure to accelerate innovation for patients. We believe that collaboration with clinical research sites is key to unlocking efficiencies and productivity gains that will streamline the clinical trial process. This initiative will develop tangible solutions that clinical study sponsors, CROs, vendors, sites and patient advocacy groups can rally behind. As a leading CRO, we are proud to be at the forefront of this effort, ensuring that sites remain central to driving progress and fostering greater industry-wide collaboration to bring life-changing treatments to patients faster.”

“Clinical research requires a unique interdependency to generate the best outcomes. Collaborate Forward will share partnership successes that impact the people, process and technology improving clinical research today,” added Sean Soth, senior vice president, Strategy and Global Business Partnerships, SCRS. “We are pleased to welcome Fortrea as the charter sponsor of Collaborate Forward. This partnership underscores the value of cross-industry collaboration and the collective effort needed to drive meaningful progress in creating a more connected and efficient clinical trial ecosystem.”

Collaborate Forward will initially focus on study startup, showcasing the advantages of collaboration through compelling stories, case studies and data-driven insights. The group will convene regularly to exchange insights, assess industry trends and develop pragmatic tools that sponsors and CROs can implement within their organizations. Updates on the working group's progress will be shared throughout 2025 via SCRS Site Solutions Summits and publications, highlighting key findings and collaborative achievements.

SCRS invites sponsors and CROs committed to site sustainability to join this effort and contribute to shaping a more effective and synergistic clinical research landscape. For more information on how to participate, please contact Brian Egan.

About The Society for Clinical Research Sites

The Society for Clinical Research Sites (SCRS) is the leading advocacy organization dedicated to unifying the voice of the global clinical research site community. Representing more than 11,000 research sites globally, SCRS facilitates industry collaborations and conversations dedicated to site-focused advocacy, education, mentorship and connection. SCRS is an active and influential champion for sites in industry initiatives to ensure that the perspective of sites is heard and valued. Learn more and get involved at myscrs.org. Our voice. Our community. Your success. 

About Fortrea

Fortrea (Nasdaq: FTRE) is a leading global provider of clinical development solutions to the life sciences industry. We partner with emerging and large biopharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device and diagnostic companies to drive healthcare innovation that accelerates life changing therapies to patients. Fortrea provides phase I-IV clinical trial management, clinical pharmacology and consulting services. Fortrea’s solutions leverage three decades of experience spanning more than 20 therapeutic areas, a passion for scientific rigor, exceptional insights and a strong investigator site network. Our talented and diverse team working in about 100 countries is scaled to deliver focused and agile solutions to customers globally. Learn more about how Fortrea is becoming a transformative force from pipeline to patient at Fortrea.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).

SCRS Contacts:

Marissa Hill (Media) – 267-865-3296, marissa.hill@myscrs.org
Brian Egan (Media) – 518-207-6965, brianeegan@gmail.com

Fortrea Contacts:

Galen Wilson (Media) – 703-298-0802, media@fortrea.com
Kate Dillon (Media) – 646-818-9115, kdillon@prosek.com