Transforming a partnership into a blended model
Case study
Diversified solutions for greater control and niche expertise
A midsize pharma sponsor recently expanded their partnership with ICON, transforming the existing10-year full service outsourcing (FSO) relationship into blended models that leverage strategic functional service provision (FSP). The expansion into FSP began in 2022 and has grown in scope with now more than 50 flexibly embedded headcount across multiple therapeutic areas. This headcount is in addition to the more than 1,200 ICON personnel already engaged with the sponsor through FSO. The sponsor’s priorities included high-quality staffing for niche roles across Europe and North America, diversifying solutions to meet unique needs and maintain great control over key areas.
ICON supports the sponsor in more than 20 therapeutic areas, across 6 business units and is currently utilising strategic blended solutions on programs including:
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Rare disease
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COVID-19
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Atopic dermatitis
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Oncology
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Cardiology
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General medicine
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Haematology-oncology
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Allergy
Challenges
ICON already had a strong working relationship with the sponsor through the FSO model, which had previously established governance structures and cross-organisational processes. Transforming the full service outsourcing to a hybrid blended solution with functional service provision would require internal and inter-organisation process adjustments to ensure harmonised operations.
The sponsor also needed to fill niche and specialty roles across multiple service areas and countries quickly to support continuity of their operations. Some of the required roles have traditionally been challenging to fill given their level of specialty.
6 key areas for expanded functional headcount:
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Clinical Supplies and Logistics
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Clinical operations
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Regulatory
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Medical affairs
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Clinical Science Group
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Oncology Statistical Programming
3 pillars of expertise:
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Strategic
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Therapeutic
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Early development
Solutions
ICON established a shared governance structure and conducts regular meetings between FSO and FSP leads to prevent operational drop-out points and ensure continuity and harmony across the solutions provided to the sponsor. Quarterly outbreak management team meetings with leads from all service lines allow us to proactively course-correct and review and address potential issues.
ICON leveraged in-house expertise to rapidly fill roles via internal recruitment. The FSP scope with the sponsor has organically matured from a headcount of 12 in 2022 to more than 50 in the first half of 2024, affording the sponsor deeper expertise and more control. We filled niche roles such as Investigator Initiated Studies, Fair Market Value Manager, Clinical Data Reviewer, and are expanding to provide specialty procurement positions to support the sponsor’s unique needs.
In 2024, ICON launched an FSP partnership brand to embody our working relationship, emphasise a stronger alliance and align cross-team cultures for deeper collaboration. Partnership branding efforts help to facilitate effective recruitment and retention.
ICON’s partnership has grown to now support six of the sponsor’s business units:
Clinical Operations, Clinical Drug Supply & Logistics, Regulatory, Medical Operations, Clinical Science Group/Oncology and Statistical Programming.
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50+
and growing headcount in FSP -
4
Countries -
1,200+
ICON personnel engaged through FSO -
20+
Therapeutic areas -
6
business units
ICON’s ability to rapidly fill niche roles and maintain high retention rates provides the sponsor with the benefits of expert specialist staff, improved knowledge retention and deeper collaborative relationships that are inherently more agile.
The blended solutions for this sponsor have continued to grow, and they have expressed a desire to increase FSP services and explore additional iterations of the blended model that will continue to flex to fit their needs as the partnership expands.
Global time to fill:
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35
Days in 2023 -
29
Days in 2024
Global retention:
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92%
2023 -
94%
2024