About OWL
We're a Functional Service Provider delivering clinical trial expertise and support, integrating seamlessly with any team.
How did OWL hatch?
OUR STORY
We founded OWL in 2010, after spending time on both the sponsor and CRO sides of the industry. We experienced firsthand the wastefulness of this broken system, and saw the stress and mistrust suffered by both sides. We saw bloated budgets, indifference of assigned team members to the mission of the project, frequent “bait and switch” of promising seasoned professionals, then assigning inexperienced rookies. All adding up to massive wastes of resources and money. As professionals who believe our work can change the world, we wanted to create something better.
We started our own company, and along with it, our own culture. We sought out people who are experienced, proactive, reliable, and passionate about their craft. The kind of people we love to work with - doesn't everybody?
Why is OWL better? Because we’re small, efficient, and we don't play games with your money. We don’t have a corporate building, and we don’t have a cast of regular employees. Most people at OWL work on a contractual basis, and we shrink and expand as the needs of our clients do. As a result, we don't have to keep people (or entire departments) busy, even when there isn't anything for them to do. OWL personnel are all home-based, saving time and money.
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At OWL, we recognize that nobody can be as dedicated and invested in your product as you. We want to help, but we don’t want to be presumptuous or overbearing, and we certainly don’t want to push services you didn’t request. Many of our clients want to manage their own studies, with OWL serving as an extension of their team. This inclusive, direct model lets our clients form deeper, more collaborative relationships with us, and fosters more dedication from every member of the team.
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Compare this to any large CRO, where you'll find not-so-transparent unit billing structures, multiple levels of managers you might not have requested, CRAs with visit quota requirements, fees for every possible add-on service, pages upon pages of cross-eyed budget grids… All kinds of people doing all sorts of things - but what are they doing? Half the time, they're missing the big picture, wasting countless hours on unnecessary tasks, and throwing your money away. When you're paying by the monitoring visit, or even by individual queries, and they've got stockholders to please - well, you do the math.
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Will the traditional CRO approach get you where you need to be? Eventually. But your project is likely to be delayed and over budget, causing you to be dismayed and over-stressed!
At OWL, we focus on the big picture: data integrity, patient safety, primary endpoints, audit risk, efficiency, you know — the stuff you need to get your product approved. We're not motivated by the bottom line. We're looking for repeat business, by giving you what you need… and not what you don't.
Our goal is pretty simple. Let's get it done right, but efficiently.
Traditional full service models can be alarmingly inefficient, especially for small-to-medium sized companies.
FSP vs CRO
OWL Oncology Research is a Functional Service Provider (FSP), offering a flexible, cost-effective alternative to traditional CROs. Where CROs operate as vendors, we integrate as collaborators — aligned, responsive, and invested in your success. We deliver the right expertise exactly where it’s needed—without extra layers of overhead. In this way, we drive efficiency, smarter spending, and cleaner data.
At OWL, we believe Smarter Resourcing builds Better Teams. We stake our reputation on it.
How do clinical trials work without a Full Service CRO?
You don’t need a full-service CRO to run a successful trial. In fact, relying on one can often lead to higher costs, inefficiencies, and less control over your own study. OWL's Functional Service Provider (FSP) approach builds "best in class" teams of specialized experts without unnecessary overhead.
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Assemble a specialized team – Whether you need a full clinical operations team, or just have a role to fill, OWL can tailor a solution to fit your needs. Our experts can work within your existing team to fill infrastructure gaps.
Use technology that fits your study. We help clients select and implement EDC, TMF, and site-management systems that serve the trial — not the other way around.
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Engage and manage sites directly. Build and maintain strong relationships with investigators, and oversee compliance directly without unnecessary intermediaries.
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Choose vendors strategically. If OWL doesn't do it, we know who does. Our network of preferred providers can support cross-functional needs in Data Management, Pharmacovigilance, Central Labs and Site Payments, and our QA team can qualify the vendors of your choice.
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Build a quality foundation. Our Quality Management team supports SOP development, process optimization, and risk-mitigation to better position our clients for successful clinical trials.
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Scale with experience. We onboard industry veterans with proven track records who align with your trial’s needs; not whoever happens to be next in line on the CRO roster.
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By working with a Functional Service Provider like OWL, sponsors keep full ownership over their trial, gain better oversight, and achieve the same (or better) quality without the overhead. It’s smarter resourcing, plain and simple.
"They are responsible, agile, and diligent in their delivery."
“We have been very pleased with the quality of service provided by the OWL Oncology team. The OWL representatives are experienced, maintain strong relationships with sites and stakeholders, and are a pleasure to work with. They are responsible, agile, and diligent in their delivery.”
– VP, Clinical Operations, 2 small biotech clients