Why Sponsors Are Rethinking the CRO Status Quo?

CRO Slowdown and Rising Pressures.

Clinical development leaders are facing a perfect storm of challenges. After a period of pandemic-fueled momentum, the contract research outsourcing (CRO) industry has hit a slowdown in 2024, revealing cracks in the decades-old outsourcing model. (Katz, 2025) Demand for CRO services has fallen sharply, with several major providers reporting declining revenues and even layoffs as pharma R&D spending growth cools. (Incorvaia, 2025) The reasons are multi-fold with venture funding for biotech falling from an explosive $36.7 billion in 2022, to $29.9 billion in 2023, diminishing new R&D budgets are expected to rise only 2.2% this year. (Incorvaia, 2025) On top of that, regulatory and commercial pressures are weighing on the industry. Drug pricing reforms like the US inflation Reduction Act and MFN are forcing portfolio re-prioritization, while key revenue drivers are losing exclusivity, eroding future profits. (Adam, 2024) Even CRO executives have cited these headwinds from new regulations to economic conditions as reason for reduced forecasts in 2024. (Adam, 2024) 

Equally troubling are capacity and service issues in traditional outsourcing. When you hand over to a CRO, you also hand over a degree of control and many sponsors have learned the hard way that service levels can be inconsistent. Large CROs, while global and capable, often lack the flexibility to prioritize smaller programs, subordinating a smaller biotech’s Phase 2 to a large pharma’s Phase 3. (Katz, 2025) The outcome? Sponsors often feel forced to settle for the "best of the worst" options in outsourcing. These pain points have become more acute in the past 18-24 months as the post-Covid boom faded and CRO pipelines grew leaner. (Katz, 2025) With timelines slipping and quality varying, it's no wonder many clinical operation leaders are frustrated with the status quo. 

Leader Under Pressure to Do More with Less.

If you're leading a clinical development program at a pharma or biotech company right now, this scenario likely feels familiar. You're under enormous pressure to accelerate timelines and deliver results faster, all while slashing costs and managing risk. Your board and investors want to see progress on key assets, but every delay and every budget overrun puts you under the microscope. We understand your dilemma. In today's climate, every dollar of R&D spend is scrutinized like never before. (Katz, 2025) Yet patients are waiting, competitors are racing ahead and regulatory hurdles keep evolving. It's a constant balancing act between speed and caution, innovation and frugality. 

As a leader, you might be asking "how can we maintain momentum in our trials without breaking the bank? Are there smarter ways to outsource or resource our studies?" You're not alone in feeling this strain. Across the industry, clinical operations, and talent leaders are caught between the need for agility and the mandate to control the costs. We emphasize with how challenging it is to meet new aggressive milestones with constrained budgets and unreliable outsourcing options. It's frustrating and it is the exact kind of challenge thats calls for a new approach. 

Introducing Barrington James’ EDG (Embedded Development Group)

Facing these challenges, you need a guide who not only understands the pressures but has a proven way to fix them. This is where Barrington James comes in. With over 23 years exclusively to life science and 20,000+ placements worldwide, we have spent decades helping companies like yours build the teams that get trials done. We've partnered with hundreds of pharma and biotech organizations, from nimble startups to industry giants. where we have front-row seats to the changing dynamics of clinical development. We've seen what works (and what doesn't) in outsourcing models. We've witnessed sponsors struggle with the traditional CRO model's limitations, and we've helped with elite talent to bring projects back on track. Barrington James has been delivering talent solutions since 2000, and that history has built not just expertise, but a deep appreciation for the human element behind successful trials with the right people, in the right roles, at the right time. 

Now we are taking that commitment a step further. Barrington James has officially launched EDG as a dedicated partner to address the very needs that today's current environment demands. Think of EDG as an evolution of our 23-year mission, now focused on innovative, flexible clinical staffing solutions. We know you're under pressure to do more with less, and our Embedded Development Group was created to help you regain control, agility, and efficiency in your clinical programs.

The Embedded Clinical Team Model

What if you could get the expertise and scalability of a CRO, but with the absolute control and agility of an in-house team? This is the aim of Barrington James SSG's Embedded Clinical Team model. In essence, we provide integrated teams of contingent clinical experts, who embed within your organization to execute your trial end-to-end. (Katz, 2025)

It's a hybrid approach that bridges the gap between full outsourcing and fully internal development. Instead of handing off your study and hoping for the best, you get a hand-picked team that works with you, under your direction, and aligned to your goals and SOPs. The core elements of this model are based on flexibility and collaboration. Our Embedded Teams can plug in at any point in your program's lifecycle, whether you need help at study start-up, an extra boost in the middle, or rescue of a delayed trial.

(Katz, 2025) We are able to tailor the team to your needs, from project manager to CRAs to data managers and regulatory specialists, led by seasoned clinical leaders. Unlike a one-size fits all CRO solution, you define the degree of control to you are keen to retain. EDG handles the rest with dedicated resources who become an extension of your team. It's your trial, ran your way and with our support.

Next Steps 

With change comes opportunity. You don't have to remain with slow-moving CROs or suffer spiralling budgets. You can take control of your clinical trials and turns your challenges today into tomorrow's competitive advantage. Schedule an exploratory call with our Strategic Solutions experts today, and understand how an embedded clinical team could accelerate your programs, and relieve the pressures you're under. A conversation with our team can help you identify where you can save time, cut costs, and gain back control.

If you would like to learn more visit our in-depth whitepaper "Taking Control: Driving Efficiency and Innovation with Embedded, In-House Clinical Trial Teams" written by the President of SSG, Bryan Katz uncovering detailed strategies and case examples of this model in action. To explore how Barrington James Strategic Solutions Group can become a trusted partner in your organization’s long-term success, connect directly with our leadership or visit our website.