Fully-Integrated Vendor Management Support in Phase 2
Summary
A high-potential biotech, entering Phase 2 with an ambitious formulation study, faced late-stage strategic changes that rendered its original CRO unsuitable.
Operating with a lean team and under competitive pressures, the sponsor required rapid CRO transition, complete vendor oversight, and embedded operational expertise to stay on schedule and protect data integrity.
New CRO contract savings
vendor alignment achieved
through enforced RACI + governance
What Seuss+ Delivered
Embedded Vendor Management & CRO Transition
Seuss+ provided fully integrated support, embedding a senior subject matter expert within the sponsor’s team. Drawing on VRMM methodology, we combined operational oversight, risk governance, and financial control to manage settlement negotiations, expedite a new CRO selection, and ensure full vendor alignment.
The Risk/Challenge
Original CRO no longer suitable due to a shift in strategic direction
Need to manage sensitive contract settlements to protect the sponsor reputation
Limited internal capacity to manage vendor transitions and multiple workstreams
Risk of data integrity loss due to oversight gaps between vendors
Tight timelines in a competitive therapeutic landscape
The Results
CRO settlement saving: $858K
Site network saving: $50K
Service provider savings: 3% discount achieved
New CRO contract savings: more than $2M (in finalization)
Full vendor alignment achieved; data integrity risk mitigated through enforced RACI and cross-vendor governance
Sponsor team maintained focus on trial strategy while Seuss+ managed operational complexity
Timeline
How We Helped
Negotiated settlement with the original CRO, protecting sponsor reputation and freeing the team to focus on strategic priorities
Designed and executed a new CRO selection process within 7.5 weeks, from RFP design to bid defense and final selection
Centralized vendor oversight and contract negotiations, eliminating overlapping service costs
Embedded a Seuss+ SME in the sponsor’s team for continuous operational coordination
Implemented RACI and oversight protocols to prevent data integrity risk between vendors
Frequently asked questions
Late-stage strategic changes rendered the original CRO unsuitable, and staying would have risked the Phase 2 program.
We ran a rapid CRO transition, took on complete vendor oversight, and embedded support so the lean internal team was not overwhelmed.
We own the coordination across every vendor, selection, contracts, risk, and oversight, as one accountable system.
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Key takeaways
- The challenge: late strategic changes made the original CRO unsuitable heading into Phase 2, with a lean team and competitive pressure.
- Seuss+ ran a rapid CRO transition with full vendor oversight and embedded support.
- The work spanned selection, contracting, risk, and oversight (VRMM optimization stage).
Talk to the Seuss+ team
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