ACRO Committees:

Through the Association’s many committees, working groups and other governing bodies, we offer significant participation to our members’ senior executives in a variety of leadership, policy setting and networking capacities. CRO professionals from all fields – regulatory affairs, legal, marketing, communications and clinical operations to name a few – benefit from their active roles in the ACRO’s activities. In turn, the Association benefits from the expertise of many of the industry’s most knowledgeable experts in helping to direct the activities of their industry’s organization.

Communications Committee
The Communications Committee is comprised of member company executives from the areas of global communications, corporate marketing and strategy. Members help to shape ACRO's strategic message and public statements, highlighting the CRO industry’s expertise in all aspects of clinical research. The committee direct efforts aimed at strengthening the public’s understanding about clinical research and providing outreach to key stakeholders and the media, overseeing educational events such as ACRO’s forum on Clinical Research Participation: Today's Challenges, Tomorrow's Possibilities.

Education and Training Committee
The Education and Training Committee may advise the Association in regard to the development of educational and training materials for investigators, research monitors and coordinators, IRBs and others who are involved in clinical research. The committee may explore training initiatives to make available to member companies through the Association and ways in which to further ACRO's educational efforts.

Ethics and Clinical Practice Committee
The Ethics and Clinical Practice Committee is made up of member company representatives with expertise ranging from regulatory affairs and quality assurance to IT and biostatistics to clinical development and beyond. Members lead the Association’s regulatory and legislative efforts, and have worked on initiatives such as the development of ACRO's Code of Ethics and position papers. This group considers the development of industry standards and best practices, directs collaborative initiatives with public-private consortiums and other organizations, and meets regularly with biopharmaceutical leaders, regulators and health officials, peer associations, academic groups and others. The committee also oversees working groups on areas including the European Union and Rest of World Issues, Quality Assurance and First-In-Human Clinical Trials.

Policy and Practice Committee
The Policy and Practice Committee is chaired by the ACRO Secretary and made up of General Counsels of all Regular Members, ACRO Executive Director and others designees. The committee advises the Association in regard to public policy, legislation and regulation, and directs the activities of Association staff.

Strategic Planning Committee
The Strategic Planning Committee designs ACRO’s initiatives to demonstrate and communicate the value of the CRO industry. With Regular Member representatives from across all sectors of the CRO industry, the committee provides recommendations on efforts to advance the industry and highlight CRO expertise in the development of news medicines and new treatment. This group also oversees opportunities to facilitate dialogue on issues of importance to the CRO industry with research sponsors, regulatory officials, policymakers, patient groups and the public.

ACRO Working Groups

European Union and Rest of World Working Group
The European Union and Rest of World Working Group is comprised of representatives from fields including global regulatory affairs, clinical operations and medical affairs. The working group advises the Association on policy and regulation impacting clinical research around the world. ACRO has regular interaction with officials at the European Medicines Agency (EMEA), European Commission and other EU regulatory authorities, and the working group helps directs related activities on issues such as the continued implementation of the Clinical Trials Directive and the EMEA's Road Map to 2010. In emerging markets, the working group provides recommendations on opportunities to share our members’ expertise on training, research best practices and the development and implementation of new regulatory frameworks. The Association has initiated relations in China with the Ministry of Health and the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA), in India with the Ministry of Health and Drugs Controller General and the Indian Council of Medical Research, and looks to continue interaction with policy makers in other regions of the world.