Chapel Hill, NC – Rho, Inc., a contract research organization that provides a full range of clinical development services to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, is pleased to announce key growth in its full-service offerings. In response to client demand and a strong increase in full-service sales, Rho has increased its staff by more than 200% in project management, clinical operations, regulatory affairs, and product safety over the past 18 months.
This rapid growth began with the hire of Kathie Whitesell as Director of Clinical Operations in March of 2006. Prior to joining Rho, Ms. Whitesell was Director of Clinical Operations for Charles River Laboratories. During her tenure, Ms. Whitesell has tripled Rho’s staff of CRAs, restructured the training programs for new employees, and strengthened the regional employee base to better serve clients’ needs. As a result, Rho has seen a dramatic increase in the number of full-service contracts, especially in ophthalmology and oncology trials, leading to further growth for the department.
Ms. Whitesell also assumed leadership of Rho’s Product Safety department, another dynamic area of growth within Rho. As part of the expansion of the company’s full-service capabilities, Rho has increased capacity in our pharmacovigilance services and added Angela Barfield, RN, to manage this team. Ms. Barfield brings over 15 years of experience in drug safety and clinical program monitoring and management to the Product Safety team. She joined Rho in February 2007.
Rho’s Project Management team is pleased to announce the additions of Kristen Snipes, Senior Project Manager and Haifa Tyler, Project Manager. Ms. Snipes joins Rho with over 10 years of experience in clinical trials, including 5 years performing clinical monitoring and 5 years managing clinical trial programs. Ms. Snipes has extensive oncology and cardiovascular experience, and is able to identify potential obstacles and implement solutions to ensure study timelines are met. Ms. Tyler joins Rho with over 10 years of experience in clinical trials, including 7 years leading CRA teams and 2 years managing clinical trial programs. Ms. Tyler brings with her extensive ophthalmology and endocrinology experience. The Project Management team is led by Ms. Tara Gladwell, and now includes 20 full-time staff focusing on planning and executing Rho’s full-service clinical trials and FDA submissions. Mr. Patrick Loebs joined Rho in January 2008 as the Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs and Medical Writing. Mr. Loebs has over 20 years of clinical research and drug development experience across the commercial and federal marketplace, including pharmaceutical, CRO, ARO, and NIH-funded institutions. He has worked in Medicinal Biochemistry, Clinical Operations, Project Management, Medical Writing and Regulatory Operations. Prior to joining Rho, Inc., he worked at RTI International and the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI), where he was involved in NIH- and SAMHSA-funded research networks. He joins Ms. Jocelyn Jennings, Director of Regulatory Affairs at Rho, who has over 20 years of research and industry experience ranging from analytical testing and validation to submissions of drug, biologic, and device applications to the FDA and international regulatory authorities. She also has extensive experience in GCP, GLP, and GMP auditing. Regulatory consulting and submission support services are fast becoming one of Rho’s most sought after services. In addition to Mr. Loebs’ and Ms. Jennings’ expertise, Ron Helms, Chief Scientific Officer and Founder of Rho, has extensive experience interacting with the FDA and working closely with sponsors on their submission strategies.
Finally, Rho is pleased to announce the promotion of Ms. Kelly Ritch to Vice President of Business Development and Marketing. In her nine years of service with Rho, Ms. Ritch has been an integral part of the company’s growth, success, and development. Under her leadership, the Clinical Data Management department increased volume capabilities by 1300% while maintaining error rates of less than .01%. As the newly named Vice President of Business Development and Marketing, and a member of the Rho leadership team, Kelly will help drive sales across the United States to promote continuous growth and brand awareness across the full-service spectrum.
”We are very excited about our recent additions and promotions,” says Russ Helms, Chief Technology Officer of Rho, Inc. “Already we are seeing increased sales as our clients are delighted by our increased capabilities. We are proud of our ability to deliver an end-to-end customer experience of unrivaled quality. Continued growth is on the horizon as word of our expanded services and satisfied customers spreads.”
Rho, Inc. is a specialty CRO with full-service capabilities that enhances the quality and speed of clinical trials, helping pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies swiftly develop new products. Rho has provided high-quality services in the areas of clinical operations, clinical data management, statistical programming, biostatistics, medical writing, and custom systems development since 1984. With over 350 professionals located in Chapel Hill, N.C., and Newton, Mass., Rho is committed to providing accurate, efficient, and comprehensive services to clients worldwide. For additional information about Rho, Inc., and its services, please visit the Web site at www.RhoWorld.com, e-mail info@rhoworld.com, or call (919) 408-8000.
