Premier Research Enters China with a 'Small but Exquisite' Strategy, Offering End-to-End Clinical Services for Pharma and MedTech

Premier Research, formerly known as Pumei Pharmaceutical, is a global clinical research organization (CRO) founded in 1989. It specializes in providing end-to-end services for global regulatory approval and clinical trials of biopharmaceuticals and medical devices. With operations worldwide, the company has established a cumulative total of 25 offices across various regions.

Premier Research Official Website

In 2019, Premier Research officially entered the Chinese market by establishing Premier Pharmaceutical R&D (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., providing Chinese clients with end-to-end services spanning from the clinical research phase of new drugs to their commercial launch. In particular, the company helps and supports domestic biopharmaceutical and medical device clients in expanding into international markets and completing the global development of new drug and medical device products.

As the first member of Premier Research’s team established upon its entry into the Chinese market, Pei Ming, Head of Business Development for Greater China at Premier Research, has been deeply engaged in the pharmaceutical R&D sector for over a decade, focusing on the full lifecycle of drug development. VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) conducted an exclusive interview with Mr. Pei to further explore the core philosophy of this global clinical research CRO and discuss its strategies for further expansion in the Chinese market.

As the regulatory environment continues to improve and align with global standards, China’s pharmaceutical R&D market is becoming increasingly vibrant, with a growing number of biopharmaceutical companies stepping onto the international stage. In this context, large global clinical research CROs and rapidly expanding domestic CRO firms are fiercely competing for market share and striving to expand their presence.

Pei Ming told VCBeat, “In recent years, based on widespread feedback from domestic innovative pharmaceutical clients, there has been sustained high demand for CROs with global coverage and global experience. At the same time, clients have raised higher expectations for customized customer experiences, rather than the standardized, process-driven operations typical of large CRO firms. In this context, ‘small but beautiful’ global clinical research CROs have emerged as a preferable choice.”

Furthermore, recognizing that product development across different therapeutic areas requires the support of corresponding domain experts, Pulmire Pharma has organized specialized teams focused on specific fields. This structure embodies the company’s goal and philosophy of “letting professional teams handle professional tasks.” Covering areas ranging from the highly prominent field of oncology to the high-barrier neuroscience sector, Pulmire Pharma is committed to concentrating its therapeutic expertise on the most breakthrough-driven R&D efforts, while focusing its time, capital, and talent resources on the areas where the Group excels most.

Over the past five years, the CRO services provided by Pumi'er Pharma have essentially covered all therapeutic areas in biopharmaceuticals, including oncology, dermatology, psychiatry, rare diseases, pediatrics, and cardiovascular diseases, as well as related clinical trial services for medical devices. Among these, oncology and hematology are the key strategic focus areas for Pumi'er Pharma. Two-thirds of the company’s project managers possess development experience in hematology and oncology, and the company has conducted more than 170 clinical trials in hematologic malignancies and oncology over the past five years.

Number of Projects in Service Areas by Pumei Pharmaceutical Over the Past Five Years

In addition to its services for the pharmaceutical industry, Pei Ming also informed VCBeat that Premier Pharma can meet CRO needs in the medical device sector as well: whether clients are conducting feasibility studies with 10 patients or post-market trials with 10,000 patients, Premier Pharma can help medical device developers translate scientific advancements into successful brands.

From advanced surgical instruments and meshes to combination products, the company’s experts have been involved in research across nearly all types of medical devices. From early-stage strategy development to regulatory approval, and further to pricing and reimbursement strategies, Premier Pharma understands the challenges faced by medical device and diagnostics companies in every therapeutic area.

When asked whether Pharmabridge’s entry into the Chinese market would lead to competition with domestic CROs, Pei Ming responded that there is currently limited overlap between Pharmabridge’s business focus in China and the services offered by domestic CROs. Pharmabridge is more dedicated to supporting Chinese pharmaceutical companies in their global expansion, facilitating international development for local firms across the United States, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and other regions worldwide. With professional teams and partners in each country and region, Pharmabridge provides comprehensive support, leveraging its in-depth understanding of local regulations and standards to accelerate clinical research progress.

Support for the Full Development Lifecycle of Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Products in the United States and the European Union

Compared to the “subcontracting” model adopted by domestic CROs for overseas clinical operations, Primir Pharma’s approach of establishing dedicated professional teams in major countries and regions worldwide to undertake overseas clinical research projects is more comprehensive and specialized.

In competing with other large international CROs, PuMiEr Pharma places greater emphasis on customer experience, tailoring strategic solutions to each client’s specific characteristics to avoid assembly-line workflows from the outset, with the aim of ensuring customer satisfaction.

Regarding Premir Pharma’s development strategy in China, Pei Ming stated that the company’s Chinese team is currently being built up and is expected to achieve full functional department coverage by next year. In terms of market positioning, the company will focus more on supporting domestic clients with global registration and clinical trials for overseas expansion. For purely domestic clinical research activities, Premir Pharma will primarily collaborate with local Chinese CRO partners to drive progress.