New York, Nov. 6, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Synergyst Research Group / Discovery Clinical Trials have been ranked on the Inc. 500|5000 list of the fastest-growing companies in the United States for the second consecutive year.
The company was No. 145 among health companies on the Inc. 500|5000 list and second among San Antonio-based companies in the category. Revenues increased by 151 percent in the three-year period used to rank companies on the list.
The company participates in clinical research studies and provides administrative support to pharmaceutical and medical device companies and physicians throughout the clinical research process. Synergyst Research Group / Discovery Clinical Trials have participated in more than 500 studies and work with the world's most-notable pharmaceutical companies.
"Ultimately, our goal is to help bring life-saving medications to the market with the ultimate consideration of patients' safety," said Trudy Madan, CEO of Synergyst Research Group / Discovery Clinical Trials. "We are working toward a better future for everyone."
Synergyst Research Group / Discovery Clinical Trials join Yelp, yogurt maker Chobani, Giftcards.com, KIND and hatmaker Tilly's on this year's list.
"We are thrilled to be recognized by Inc. magazine for the work we have done in the last several years," Madan said. "We think this is just the beginning for a period of dramatic growth for Synergyst Research Group and Discovery Clinical Trials."
Why clinical studies?
Providing clinical research within a medical practice is beneficial to patients, who are able to take part in important research in the confines of a doctor's offices. Clinical research is an essential part of the process of bringing life-enhancing treatments to the market.
"Clinical research is rewarding to those who take part in it," Madan said. "The physician helps determine the future safety and efficacy of drugs, and clinical study patients can gain access to cutting-edge products before they become mainstream in the marketplace."
Because of declines in insurance reimbursements, more and more physicians are searching for additional revenue to defray the costs of top-quality medical care. Clinical trials provide those opportunities.
What is a clinical study?
A clinical study is a comparison of an experimental medication or medical treatment with the standard treatment, another medication/treatment or placebo (an inactive look-a-like pill). In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration requires all pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers to prove the safety and efficacy of the medications or treatments prior to receiving approval to sell their product in the public market place.
Clinical studies vary greatly in size depending on the phase of research. For pharmaceuticals, clinical trials are commonly classified into four phases:
- Phase I studies are the first stage of testing in human subjects and normally include a small (20-80) group of healthy volunteers.
- Phase II studies are performed on larger groups (20-300) and are designed to assess how well the drug works. These take place only after the initial safety of the study drug has been confirmed in Phase I trials.
- Phase III studies are randomized controlled multicenter trials on large patient groups (300-3,000 or more depending upon the disease/medical condition studied) and are aimed at being the definitive assessment of how effective the drug is, in comparison with current 'gold standard' treatment.
- Phase IV studies involve the safety surveillance and ongoing technical support of a drug after it receives permission to be sold.
Synergyst Research Group / Discovery Clinical Trials are privately held companies that represent the foremost physician groups within various specialties in markets in Texas and Florida.
Synergyst Research / Discovery Clinical Trials partner with community-based physicians who want to expand their practices through participation in clinical research. Synergyst Research promotes physicians to clinical trial sponsors and assists physicians in the study start-up process to diversify practice revenue and assist in finding new treatments and cures for patients.