There can be a slight chill between contract research organizations (CROs) and electronic data capture (EDC) firms that work together. In a pinch, either firm could dent the credibility of the other. It’s not always clear whether this CRO or that EDC firm might be included or omitted from a future bidding opportunity. The partnership between INC Research and Medidata sounds different. Warmer, to be exact. There was a genuine friendliness on the line when we checked in with both companies recently. And there was enough of a hint of the speed bumps that pop up in any real relationship to make us surmise that this particular CRO-EDC partnership runs deeper than a press release. One example. Contracting for the two firms seemed to be taking too much time. A task force to iron things out was formed. Problem solved. “The issue has gone away. It’s a non-issue,” says Alistair Macdonald,…more...