Veristat, a global clinical research organization (CRO) and consultancy specializing in complex clinical studies, announced its participation in the upcoming Clinical Outsourcing Group (COG) – Bay Area 2025 conference, to be held October 21–22, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport in Burlingame, California.
Veristat will present alongside AOBiome Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing therapies for inflammatory and microbiome-related conditions. The joint session, scheduled for October 21 at 4:45 p.m. PT, will explore how early integration, transparent communication, and strategic collaboration between sponsors and CROs can dramatically improve the likelihood of clinical trial success.
Rethinking the Sponsor–CRO Relationship
As the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries continue to evolve, many sponsor–CRO relationships still operate on a transactional model—focused primarily on project execution rather than shared strategy. This conventional approach often limits innovation, delays timelines, and increases the risk of misalignment between development objectives and operational delivery.
In their joint presentation titled, “Strategic from the Start: Leveraging Your CRO as a True Development Partner,” Kim Boericke, Chief Operating Officer of Veristat, and Hyun Kim, Senior Vice President of Clinical Development at AOBiome Therapeutics, will discuss how sponsors and CROs can overcome these barriers by building strategic, trust-based partnerships that prioritize transparency, accountability, and shared ownership of outcomes.
The session will highlight real-world lessons and examples of how these partnerships can guide drug development programs from early funding through late-stage clinical trials and regulatory approval.
The Value of Honest Conversations in Clinical Development
“I look forward to this important discussion, as CROs often tell sponsors what they want to hear rather than what they need to hear,” said Boericke. “Strategic partnerships require transparency, shared accountability, and the courage to have difficult conversations to prevent regulatory delays and failed trials.”
Boericke, who brings decades of leadership experience in global clinical operations, emphasized that open and honest communication—even when uncomfortable—is essential for avoiding pitfalls that frequently derail studies. These include over-ambitious timelines, underpowered trial designs, and gaps in regulatory preparedness.
The session aims to challenge conventional dynamics between sponsors and CROs by emphasizing a proactive, solutions-driven mindset. Rather than reacting to problems as they arise, Boericke and Kim will outline how early integration and aligned decision-making between sponsors and CRO partners can mitigate risk, streamline development, and enhance regulatory readiness.
Addressing the “Uncomfortable Realities” of Clinical Trials
The joint discussion will also address what the speakers describe as the “uncomfortable realities” of clinical development—issues that CROs and sponsors sometimes avoid confronting until it’s too late. These include unrealistic recruitment projections, operational bottlenecks, and strategic misalignment in regulatory planning.
By acknowledging and addressing these challenges early, Veristat and AOBiome aim to demonstrate how open dialogue and integrated planning can significantly reduce costly delays and improve the odds of clinical and regulatory success. Attendees will leave the session with actionable insights into fostering more effective, collaborative relationships with their CRO partners.
A Decade of Collaboration: Veristat and AOBiome’s Proven Partnership
AOBiome Therapeutics’ Hyun Kim will share his perspective on the long-standing, nearly decade-long collaboration between the two organizations. Since first partnering in 2016, Veristat has supported AOBiome across multiple therapeutic areas—including hypertension, eczema, and migraine—providing end-to-end clinical and regulatory support.
Over the years, the partnership has expanded to encompass five clinical studies from Phase 2 through registration, with Veristat delivering a full suite of services such as biostatistics, data management, clinical operations, regulatory consulting, and medical writing.
“What sets a strategic CRO partnership apart is not just expertise, but also alignment—on priorities, risk tolerance, and decision-making speed,” said Kim. “With Veristat, we’ve been able to move faster and smarter because they operate as an extension of our team, not a vendor. That alignment has been essential to advancing our programs efficiently and successfully.”
Kim’s comments underscore a growing industry trend: as clinical programs become more complex, sponsors increasingly rely on CROs that can offer strategic insight in addition to operational excellence. This shift is redefining what it means to be a CRO—from a service provider to a true development partner capable of shaping regulatory and clinical strategy from the earliest stages.
A Call for Strategic Collaboration
Veristat’s participation in the COG Bay Area 2025 conference highlights the company’s commitment to fostering collaboration, innovation, and transparency within the clinical research ecosystem. With extensive experience managing complex clinical programs—including rare diseases, oncology, cell and gene therapies, and infectious diseases—Veristat continues to champion strategic partnerships that accelerate drug development and improve patient outcomes.
As the industry faces increasing regulatory scrutiny, cost pressures, and scientific complexity, the ability to build trust-based, strategically aligned relationships between sponsors and CROs has never been more critical. Sessions like Veristat and AOBiome’s aim to empower sponsors to rethink their outsourcing models—transforming them from transactional engagements into collaborative alliances that deliver lasting impact.
