If you are planning a cardiology trial whether it be drug, biologic, diagnostic or device, you will want partners with proven cardiovascular (CV) delivery, strong core-lab capabilities, and coverage across the UK, EU, and US. This guide profiles cardiovascular Contract Research Organisations (CROs) with verified cardiology credentials and global reach, ordered by founding year to give historical context. All entries were cross-checked against at least two reputable sources, with material M&A since 2020 noted for transparency.
Methodology (How we Compiled this List)
We started with third-party “top CRO” lists focused on cardiology, then validated each company through primary sources such as the company’s website, press releases, and reputable databases. To qualify, a CRO had to: serve cardiovascular sponsors (drug, device, or diagnostic); show UK, EU, or US operational reach; and be corroborated by at least two sources. We excluded pure IT vendors, general consultancies without a defined CRO unit, and self-ranked entries. M&A and naming since 2020 were double-checked against company news and recognised deal trackers. Founding year, headquarters, and cardiovascular focus were verified where possible from primary or reputable secondary sources.
Top Cardiovascular CROs (Ordered by Founding Year)
1. IQVIA
IQVIA combines large-scale global operations with established cardiovascular expertise across drug and device studies, supported by analytics and real-world data. The brand emerged from the Quintiles–IMS combination, with long-standing UK presence and delivery across EU and US networks.
2. Parexel
Parexel is a full-service CRO with mature cardiovascular delivery spanning outcomes, interventional, and cardiometabolic studies. Its footprint covers the UK, wider Europe, and the US, with functional depth in data and medical writing.
3. Cardialysis
Cardialysis is a specialist cardiovascular organisation known for core-lab services (e.g. QCA, OCT, IVUS) and close academic affiliations. It supports device and drug trials across Europe and internationally, collaborating with UK and US sponsors.
4. PPD (a Thermo Fisher Scientific company)
PPD provides global cardiovascular development integrated with Thermo Fisher’s laboratory network. Its delivery spans UK, EU, and US studies, including complex outcomes and device programmes.
5. ICON plc
ICON runs cardiovascular trials across heart failure, arrhythmia, interventional, and rare disease niches. Scale increased materially following its 2021 acquisition of PRA Health Sciences, strengthening EU/US reach.
6. Medpace
Medpace offers integrated clinical operations with central labs and imaging that support cardiometabolic and interventional cardiology studies. It operates across the UK, EU, and US with a reputation for operational discipline.
7. Quanticate
Quanticate is a specialist biometrics CRO founded in 1994 that provides biostatistics, statistical programming, clinical data management, medical writing, and pharmacovigilance. With UK headquarters and global delivery, Quanticate has partnered with sponsors for over 30 years on cardiovascular studies, earning considerable experience and knowledge for this therapeutic area.
8. Diagram B.V.
Diagram is a cardiovascular-focused CRO coordinating trials across Europe and beyond, including interventional and acute-care settings. Its close links to specialist centres support efficient execution in complex cardiology pathways.
9. SCIRENT
SCIRENT is a boutique, cardiology-only CRO founded by cardiologists, delivering drug and device studies with nimble operations across Europe and North America, and experience in electrophysiology and structural heart interventions.
10. Fortrea
Spun out of Labcorp in 2023, Fortrea provides cardiovascular trial services with UK clinical infrastructure and global delivery across EU and US regions, supported by central capabilities and therapy-area leadership.
Conclusion
Choosing a cardiovascular CRO comes down to the fit between your indication, endpoints, geographies, and resourcing model. Global majors bring scale for long outcomes programmes; cardiology-only specialists offer depth and nimble operations for complex interventions; and a biometrics partner can de-risk data integrity and submissions across all of the above.
Quanticate is a UK-headquartered biometrics CRO supporting cardiology sponsors with statistical design, CDISC standards, centralised programming, data management, medical writing, and pharmacovigilance. If you need a data-first partner to strengthen the statistical backbone of your cardiovascular study while your CRO executes at site, let’s talk. Submit an RFI today.
