Top 10 Decentralized Clinical Trials Companies
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Published: October 2025
The development of a novel molecular entity, for pharmacological use, is complex as well as cost intensive. It requires approximately to 10 years -17 years and over USD 2.5 billion in capital investment for a prescription therapeutic to traverse from bench to the market. A significant proportion (40%) of the pharmaceutical R&D budget in the US is spent on clinical research, evaluating the safety and efficacy of novel therapeutic interventions in human subjects. Conducting clinical trials is fraught with several challenges, including (but not limited to) patient recruitment related concerns, inadequacies in handling (generation, logging and processing) clinical data, risk of failure (mostly owing to safety concerns and side effects of the drug / therapy being evaluated), and unforeseen delays leading to deterrence from predetermined completion timelines. In fact, retrospective studies have demonstrated that, in over 90% of the cases, clinical trials are delayed due to the inability to either recruit or retain the required number of patients.
The concept of virtual clinical trials, also known as siteless clinical trials or decentralized clinical trials, is one among the many developments in the modern pharmaceutical industry. The virtual clinical trials companies enabled therapy developers / trials sponsors to address some of the exigent concerns related to clinical trial conduct and offered the means to resume clinical research even during the pandemic. Presently, there are several virtual contract research organizations offering a wide range of services and solutions for conducting and managing various aspects of clinical trials. Further, by allowing sponsors / trial affiliates to become more patient centric, improving the reach of clinical trials to wider pool of patients and reducing the workload of trial investigators, the DCT market will continue to witness growth.
There are several start-ups that have emerged in the last couple of years to offer services related to decentralized clinical trials like Fortrea (spin-off of LabCorp), Health Studio and Zealth. On the other hand, the established contract research organizations have expanded their offerings related to virtual clinical trial related services. Several other pharma giants namely Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers, Modera, Otsuka, Pfizer, Sanofi and Squibb, have been actively engaged in using decentralized clinical trial technologies to facilitate the conduct of their trials.
Roots Analysis has conducted an exhaustive study on Virtual Clinical Trials Market featuring the current market landscape and future opportunity for the service providers involved in offering virtual clinical trial services, over a span of next 10 years.
Since virtual / decentralized clinical trials are more patient-centric, this approach not only reduces the clinical drug development timelines but also addresses the challenge of high capital investments required in the development of pharmaceutical products. The adoption of virtual / decentralized approach by pharma contract research organizations is believed to alter the trends in the clinical research industry.
Top 10 Promising Decentralized Clinical Trials Companies
- ICON
- IQVIA
- Labcorp
- Medpace
- Oracle
- Parexel
- PPD
- Science 37
- Signant Health
- Syneos Health
Interested in exploring all 135+ Decentralized Clinical Trials Companies / Virtual Clinical Trial Companies Offering Services?
Discover Below the Details on Top 10 Decentralized Clinical Trials Companies
Let us dive deep into the details of the top 10 decentralized clinical trials companies. These established companies were chosen based on their service portfolio strength (based on number of types of decentralized clinical trial services offered). It is essential to note that the selection of top players can differ substantially according to the defined criteria.
1. ICON
Company Overview
ICON offers clinical and consulting services to support the product authorization requirements of its clients. It helps the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device and government organizations via outsourcing services related to drugs and devices’ development. Within the clinical research sector, ICON is actively advancing their technologies and moving to newer requirements of patients as well as pharma players. In this regard, the company’s expertise includes personalized digital health by shifting from traditional trial model to decentralized trials. ICON offers hybrid model for deploying decentralized clinical trials services.
The company acquired PRA Health Sciences in July 2021 for a sum of approximately USD 12 billion. Notably, PRA Heath Sciences was one of the leading CROs driving trial decentralization during the COVID pandemic.
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Key Parameters |
Description |
| Company Logo |  |
| Year of Establishment | 1990 |
| Number of Employees | 10,001+ |
| Headquarters |  |
| Decentralized Clinical Trial Services Offered |
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Recent Developments:
In March 2025, ICON entered into a strategic collaboration with Mural Health Technologies to improve its clinical trial subject and site experiences using latter’s Mural Link Platform. This platform is expected to reduce barriers to trial participation.
Notably, in March 2023, ICON signed a collaboration with LEO Pharma, where ICON is planning to inculcate its DCT capabilities in the development of new treatments for dermatological disorders.
To know more about the recent initiatives of ICON and other decentralized clinical trials companies, access full report.
2. IQVIA
Company Overview
IQVIA is one of the leading providers of advanced analytics, contract research services and technology solutions to the life sciences industry. The company leverages data science and analytical solutions for developing novel approaches for clinical development and accelerating advancement in healthcare. Further, the company has capabilities to conduct completely remote or hybrid clinical studies, thereby helping various sponsors to achieve their recruitment goals by identifying the correct patient pool, as well as maximizing patient engagement. IQVIA offers fully virtual as well as hybrid models for deploying decentralized clinical trials services.
The company launched its virtual trial solutions in 2018 and as per 2024 industry report, IQVIA has conducted more than 500 decentralized clinical trials across 75+ countries and 30+ indications.
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Key Parameters |
Description |
| Company Logo |  |
| Year of Establishment | 1982 |
| Number of Employees | 10,001+ |
| Headquarters |  |
| Decentralized Clinical Trial Services Offered |
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Recent Developments:
In June 2025, IQVIA received 2025 MedTech breakthrough award for its mobile application for patient engagement. This platform allows direct-to-patient data collation and enhanced patient engagement, enabling patients to participate in decentralized clinical trials from around the world.
In the same month, IQVIA received the Fierce CRO award in the category of Innovative Approaches to Patient-Centric Research, highlighting their commitment to transform the clinical trial landscape, by making it more accessible, patient centric and effective.
To know more about the recent initiatives of IQVIA and other decentralized clinical trials companies, access full report.
3. Labcorp
Company Overview
Labcorp offers digitized clinical trial solutions via its technology platform with an aim to reduce the patient and study site administrative tasks as well as improve the trial resiliency. Its CRO business was managed by Covance, which was acquired by Labcorp in 2015. The business changed its name to Labcorp Drug Development in June 2021. Labcorp offers fully virtual model of deploying decentralized clinical trials services. Later in 2023, the company spun-off its CRO business into a separate entity, operating under the name Fortrea.
During its journey to offer decentralized clinical trials, the company also acquired SnapIoT in 2020. The latter company portfolio includes a suite of software and platform to support DCT.
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Key Parameters |
Description |
| Company Logo |  |
| Year of Establishment | 1969 |
| Number of Employees | 10,001+ |
| Headquarters |  |
| Decentralized Clinical Trial Services Offered |
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Recent Developments:
In January 2024, Labcorp entered into a collaboration with Hawthorne Effect, a trial software company, in order to speed up decentralized clinical trial studies and increase patient diversity.
To know more about the recent initiatives of Labcorp and other decentralized clinical trials companies, access full report.
4. Medpace
Company Overview
Medpace is a full-service clinical research organization that claims to offer a comprehensive array of clinical development services to both medical devices and biopharmaceutical companies. It assists its clients via offering solutions to conduct virtual clinical trials and overcome existing challenges. With its proprietary platform, TrialPACE® ePRO/eCOA/eDiary system, Medpace is collecting patient data participating in decentralized clinical trials. Medpace offers fully virtual as well as hybrid model of deploying decentralized clinical trials services. The company also claims capability to collect and integrate the data from wearable devices into clinical trials having worked with devices such as rhythm monitors, actigraphy and continuous glucose monitors.
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Key Parameters |
Description |
| Company Logo |  |
| Year of Establishment | 1992 |
| Number of Employees | 5,001 - 10,000 |
| Headquarters |  |
| Decentralized Clinical Trial Services Offered |
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To know more about the recent initiatives of Medpace and other decentralized clinical trials companies, access full report.
5. Oracle
Company Overview
Oracle, a cloud technology company, is offering its computing infrastructure and software to the various types of companies for innovation as well as making the operations more effective. In the life sciences sector, Oracle has supported over 250,000 trials till date and is accelerating clinical studies by integrating decentralized related services for the end-users. Oracle offers eclinical solutions to allow fully virtual clinical trials.
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Key Parameters |
Description |
| Company Logo |  |
| Year of Establishment | 1977 |
| Number of Employees | 10,001+ |
| Headquarters |  |
| Decentralized Clinical Trial Services Offered |
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Recent Developments:
In August 2025, Oracle announced the integration of its Oracle Health HER system with Patientory’s enterprise analytics dashboard, for supporting proactive clinical trial recruitment, enhanced patient engagement and improved clinical trial speed and diversity.
In May 2024, Oracle announced the advancement of its global RTSM (Clinical One Randomization and Trial Supply Management) capabilities, to support sponsors and CROs to configure, scale and automate their clinical trial studies.
To know more about the recent initiatives of Oracle and other decentralized clinical trials companies, access full report.
6. Parexel
Company Overview
Parexel, a leading CRO has implemented various technologies for conducting decentralized clinical trials. Moreover, Parexel is a founding member of Decentralized Trials & Research Alliance, wherein the focus is to look for newer technologies, research practices as well as policies for the decentralized clinical trial related offerings. Parexel offers fully virtual as well as hybrid model of deploying decentralized clinical trials services.
Parexel was involved in the first virtual clinical trial, REMOTE which was sponsored by Pfizer and was initiated in 2011. The trial though was terminated in 2012 citing enrollment challenges. Till 2021, the company claimed to have conducted more than 100 decentralized / hybrid clinical trials.
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Key Parameters |
Description |
| Company Logo |  |
| Year of Establishment | 1983 |
| Number of Employees | 10,001+ |
| Headquarters |  |
| Decentralized Clinical Trial Services Offered |
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Recent Developments:
In August 2025, Parexel announced the appointment of Jim Anthony as the Chief Commercial Officer and President at Parexel Biotech. Under this role, Jim Anthony will oversee customer strategy and relationships across biotech and pharma sectors, along with clinical development capabilities of the firm from Phase I to Phase IV.
To know more about the recent initiatives of Parexel and other decentralized clinical trials companies, access full report.
7. PPD
Company Overview
PPD, now part of Thermo Fisher has developed a Decentralized Clinical Trial (DCT) network with a vision to identify sites and investigators for virtual clinical trials. The company has also been recognized by ISG as a leader in the decentralized clinical trial solutions, specific to its design and implementation. PPD offers fully virtual as well as hybrid model of deploying decentralized clinical trials services.
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Key Parameters |
Description |
| Company Logo |  |
| Year of Establishment | 1985 |
| Number of Employees | 10,001+ |
| Headquarters |  |
| Decentralized Clinical Trial Services Offered |
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Recent Developments:
In October 2022, PPD announced the creation of a DCT network for supporting the rapid evolution and deployment of DCTs for pharma and biotech customers, worldwide. This is expected to be achieved through a DCT eLearning certification program.
To know more about the recent initiatives of PPD and other decentralized clinical trials companies, access full report.
8. Science 37
Company Overview
Science 37 is a clinical research company focused on the development of networked patient-centric models for clinical research to accelerate the drug development process and reduce clinical trial costs. The firm has entered into various collaborations with national mobile nursing companies, pharmacy chains, virtual e-consenting firms, mobile device companies and patient advocacy groups to provide decentralized clinical trial solutions to its clients. Using the company’s Metasite model, patients and study coordinators are able to connect safely and securely without any geographic limitations. Science 37 offers fully virtual as well as hybrid model of deploying decentralized clinical trials services.
The company was established in 2014 and has since worked with several big pharmaceutical companies to conduct decentralized clinical trials. Science 37 does not use the traditional site-centric approach for clinical trials and as per the company’s website, Science 37 has conducted over 185 decentralized clinical trials, till date. Further, the company has been ranked as the leading enroller across more than 50% of its conducted clinical trials.
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Key Parameters |
Description |
| Company Logo |  |
| Year of Establishment | 2014 |
| Number of Employees | 501 – 1,000 |
| Headquarters |  |
| Decentralized Clinical Trial Services Offered |
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Recent Developments:
In September 2025, Science 37 entered into a strategic collaboration with Catalent for enhancing accessibility, patient enrollment and geographical reach of clinical trial research studies. This collaboration supports secure and timely delivery of investigational medicinal products to the homes of the participants based in different locations, addressing the challenges associated with at-home clinical research.
In June 2024, Science 37 announced that it surpassed its initial enrollment goal for a phase II rare disease virtual clinical trial using its proprietary Metasite platform and patient recruitment solutions.
To know more about the recent initiatives of Science 37 and other decentralized clinical trials companies, access full report.
9. Signant Health
Company Overview
Signant Health, an evidence generation company, focuses on digitizing systems, which can manage trial data. The company has designed various tools and technologies capable of reducing patient and site burden via offering end-to-end services for decentralized clinical trials. The SmartSignals ecosystem of Signant Health is assisting the sponsors by incorporating data aggregation solutions, direct-to-patient medication supply and home nurse partnerships. The company’s virtual study solutions enable extraction of clinical research data and generation of valuable insights, thereby reducing the overall cost and time associated with clinical trials. Signant Health offers fully virtual as well as hybrid model of deploying decentralized clinical trials services.
The company has been growing its decentralized clinical trials service portfolio through the acquisition of VirTrial in November 2020, followed by the acquisition of DSG in July 2023.
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Key Parameters |
Description |
| Company Logo |  |
| Year of Establishment | 2000 |
| Number of Employees | 1,001 – 5,000 |
| Headquarters |  |
| Decentralized Clinical Trial Services Offered |
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Recent Developments:
In December 2024, Signant Health announced the appointment of Krishna Maridi as Chief Financial Officer. Krishna Maridi joins in with prior experience across various companies including Sonrava Health, Galderma and PPD.
Earlier, in September 2024, Signant Health announced a collaboration with IQVIA for expanding the availability of its eClinical solutions under the latter’s One Home for Sites initiative.
To know more about the recent initiatives of Signant Health and other decentralized clinical trials companies, access full report.
10. Syneos Health
Company Overview
Deep insights, agile technology, creative trial design expertise, and operational excellence are the cornerstones of decentralized solutions of Syneos Health, which improve product development by bringing clinical trials closer to the patient. The team is focused on minimizing the patient as well as site burden via offering unique study designs to run the trial. The company offers fully virtual as well as hybrid model of deploying decentralized clinical trials services.
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Key Parameters |
Description |
| Company Logo |  |
| Year of Establishment | 1998 |
| Number of Employees | 10,001+ |
| Headquarters |  |
| Decentralized Clinical Trial Services Offered |
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Recent Developments:
In October 2024, Syneos Health announced the appointment of Costa Panagos as the Chief Executive Officer, following his recent role as president of research and development solutions at IQVIA.
To know more about the recent initiatives of Syneos Health and other decentralized clinical trials companies, access full report.
What about other Decentralized Clinicals Trials Companies Around the World?
The above article features ten decentralized clinical trials companies selected from a pool of over 135 players that we have compiled. If you're interested, you can download the Sample Report on this topic by Roots Analysis. For personalized assistance in identifying the most relevant solutions based on your specific criteria, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at sales@rootsanalysis.com.
Sources
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