The global market for oncology clinical trials has reached nearly $13 billion in 2022 and is forecasted to grow at 5.2% annually through 2030. In 2025, sponsors are facing tighter regulations, complex tumour biology, and limited patient populations. However, selecting the right contract research organisation (CRO) can shave months off timelines, protect budgets, and help you maintain data integrity throughout.
In this guide, we provide concise profiles of each CRO’s strengths and recent milestones and offer a practical framework to match your trial’s needs with the appropriate partner.
Oncology trials present unique challenges and generalist CROs may find hard to manage. These include the following:
Complex Study Designs
Adaptive, umbrella, and basket trials demand specialised expertise in protocol development and statistical planning.
Molecular and Biomarker Logistics
Coordinating tumour profiling and companion diagnostics requires tight integration between lab and clinical teams.
Regulatory Scrutiny
Authorities expect detailed safety monitoring and risk mitigation in cancer studies, especially for first-in-human or gene therapy programmes.
Patient Recruitment and Retention
Limited patient pools and strict eligibility criteria call for tailored outreach, diversity strategies, and support services.
An oncology-focused CRO brings deep expertise across these areas, helping you accelerate timelines through streamlined processes, ensure data quality and compliance, optimise site selection and patient engagement, and incorporate the latest scientific advancements into your protocol. By choosing a specialist partner, you reduce operational risk and can devote more resources to your core research.
We assessed each CRO using four equally weighted criteria: therapeutic depth, operational innovation, global reach, and patient-centric approach. The list below follows an alphabetical order to keep everything fair. Keep reading to find out the top 10 oncology CROs to watch in 2025.
ICON offers comprehensive end-to-end oncology trial services across more than 40 countries. It combines central lab capabilities, advanced data analytics and proprietary patient-matching tools. In 2024, ICON completed its integration of PRA Health Sciences, boosting its late-phase capacity in Asia. For 2025, ICON will leverage its ICONIK™ AI platform to optimise site selection and accelerate patient recruitment, reducing study start-up times by an estimated 20%.
IQVIA stands out for its vast healthcare data assets and tech-driven trial platforms. Its oncology suite includes custom trial designs, real-world evidence analytics and central lab services via Labcorp. In 2024, IQVIA launched an Observational Health Data Analytics suite tailored to cancer research. In 2025, it will debut a unified Trial Execution ecosystem, integrating eCOA, remote monitoring, and AI-powered risk management to enhance data quality and cut on-site visits.
Labcorp combines one of the world’s largest central lab networks with full clinical trial services. Its molecular and genomic testing underpins companion-diagnostic strategies, supported by an integrated eClinical suite. In 2024, Labcorp expanded NGS capacity by 25% and opened two new European bioanalytical centres. For 2025, it plans a decentralised trial accelerator, featuring mobile nursing, telehealth visits, and direct-to-patient drug shipments to improve retention.
Medpace delivers full-service support from Phase I through IV with strong expertise in solid tumours and haematology. Its in-house medical and regulatory teams accelerate protocol development. In 2024, Medpace opened two new early-phase units in Europe, boosting first-in-human capacity by 30%. In 2025, it will launch a virtual investigator site network, using remote activation and central monitoring to cut start-up times, and expand geographic reach.
Parexel brings over 30 years of oncology experience, offering central labs, pharmacovigilance and regulatory affairs under one roof. Its patient-support services include home nursing and compliance programmes. In 2024, Parexel acquired Insight Medical Publishing’s editorial division to enhance its medical-writing capabilities. In 2025, it plans to roll out adaptive-design toolkits that integrate simulation and statistical modelling into protocol development for greater trial flexibility.
PPD, now part of Thermo Fisher Scientific, provides integrated drug development from protocol design to market launch. Its oncology services span biomarker strategy, early-phase units and global regulatory expertise. In 2024, Thermo Fisher completed its acquisition of PPD, adding advanced lab and diagnostic technologies. In 2025, PPD will embed Thermo Fisher’s Oncomine™ portfolio in trial workflows to speed up biomarker assessment and support adaptive randomisation.
Precision for Medicine specialises in biomarker-driven oncology trials, offering molecular assay development, central lab services and translational analytics. In 2024, it expanded its cell-free DNA testing panel to cover over 200 cancer-related genes. In 2025, Precision will introduce PrecisionConnect™, a real-time portal for biomarker reporting and patient matchmaking, streamlining enrolment by linking genomic profiles with active studies.
Quanticate is one of the world’s largest global biometrics CROs, specialising in data-focused services across all phases of oncology trials, providing statistical analysis, data capture, and clinical trial reporting. Quanticate has over 30 years’ experience in providing biometric services in oncology, its clients range from large global pharmaceutical companies to specialist biotechs. In 2025, Quanticate will expand its oncology biometrics and real-world evidence analytics, enabling automated statistical workflows, and dynamic RWE integration to support adaptive trial designs and informed decision-making.
Syneos Health integrates clinical operations with commercial strategy under its Biopharma Solutions model. It provides rapid feasibility assessments, hybrid trial services and patient-recruitment networks. In 2024, Syneos secured a five-year partnership to co-develop decentralised oncology protocols with a major biopharma. For 2025, it will enhance its Patient Insights Lab™ with AI to predict recruitment hotspots and optimise outreach, shortening enrolment windows.
Worldwide Clinical Trials focuses on oncology and rare-disease studies, backed by a proprietary analytics platform for adaptive-design decision support. Its central lab and expert teams deliver custom trial solutions. In 2024, it launched an AI-driven protocol feasibility tool to forecast enrolment success. In 2025, Worldwide will expand its decentralised trial suite, adding home-nursing services and telehealth visits to boost retention in dispersed populations.
Choosing the right oncology-focused CRO for your clinical trial will depend on four key factors. Use our simple framework to identify the best fit:
Early Phase (I-II) → Niche/boutique providers or mid-sized specialists with strong translational and PK/PD capabilities.
Late Phase (III-IV) → Global full-service powerhouses equipped for large patient volumes and multi-region logistics.
Adaptive, Umbrella, or Basket Trials → Providers with proven innovation in statistical modelling and central lab integration.
Standard Parallel-Arm Studies → Any full-service CRO, focusing instead on cost and geographic footprint.
Global Scope → Organisations with vast site networks in North America, Europe, and Asia.
Regional Focus or Emerging Markets → Mid-sized boutique CROs with deep local expertise and faster start-up.
Maximised Efficiency → Mid-sized specialists offering leaner overheads.
Full Suite of Services → Global CROs that bundle everything, from eClinical platforms to patient support, all under one contract.
Before you approach a CRO, ensure you have the following:
Completing this checklist will equip you to better streamline CRO proposals and allow for faster start-up negotiations.
Choosing the right oncology CRO for your clinical trial in 2025 requires clarity on your trial’s phase, design complexity, geographic reach, and budget. Our simple ranking methodology and practical framework aim to guide you swiftly to the partner best suited to your needs.
Armed with this guide, you’ll be able to confidently engage CROs that will help you meet timelines, control costs, and deliver reliable data.
Quanticate combines deep biometrics expertise with a hands-on approach to streamline your oncology trials. Our teams specialise in statistical programming, clinical data management, medical writing, and pharmacovigilance. Whether you need global reach or local agility, we adapt to your needs and build lasting partnerships on trust and transparency. Ready to accelerate your cancer-therapy development? Submit an RFI today.