FAQ
Q: What are your fees? Do you charge a flat fee or do you take a percentage of the budget?
A: Interspond does not charge any fees to the site, nor do we take a percentage of the budget. Interspond pays sites exactly the per patient amount negotiated with Interspond.
Q: How do you make money?
A: Interspond negotiates a budget with the Sponsor/CRO and a different budget with the sites. The difference in the two is how we are able to make money. We only make money when the sites are successful in enrolling patients because our fees are tied to the per patient budget. If sites do not enroll any patients into a study, we do not make any money aside from some minimal start-up fees.
Q: How long do you hold on to sites’ money before paying them?
A: Interspond cuts checks weekly. If we receive a payment for a site, along with the detailed breakdown of said payment, we will pay sites by the end of the week.
Q: Do sites get to see the budget you get from the Sponsor/CRO?
A: No. The budget we have with the CRO/Sponsor is confidential unless a site is an exclusive site. We do send a budget template to sites and ask them to submit a budget request to us for review.
Q: Do we have to sign a contract to work with Interspond?
A: No. Interspond does not require sites to sign a contract in order to work with us. We do request that sites sign an Agreement Statement indicating they agree to work with Interspond on the specific study queried. This is done for every study. Exclusive sites sign a contract to work with us on an exclusive basis and are not asked to sign study specific Agreement Statements. Sites will sign the Clinical Trial Agreement and Interspond will be party to that agreement.
Q: If I am on your query list, do I have to submit for every study?
A: No, please don’t. Only submit your site and investigator for studies you feel you could enroll well on.
Q: If I work with Interspond, can I still work with other brokers and continue to do our own business development?
A: Yes, if you are an affiliated site. We expect that whoever brings you the study first is the company with which you will work.
Q: What if you bring us a study we already know about?
A: If you are an affiliated site, we ask that you let us know right away and provide the written documentation as to when you were first contacted. We will stop working on your behalf for that specific study. You will then have no obligation to work with Interspond. This is not an issue with exclusive sites since all study opportunities flow through Interspond regardless of the source of the lead.
Q: How long has Interspond been in business?
A: Interspond founder Kathy S. Cox developed this business model more than 23 years ago and has been conducting business under the Interspond name since 2003.
Q: How big is your staff?
A: Interspond currently employs 16 full-time employees which includes a dedicated business development department, a contract specialist department, a financial specialist department, as well as project managers and operations staff.
Q: Are you a CRO?
A: No, Interspond is a Trial Management Organization (TMO) that seeks to identify study opportunities for the sites with which we work. We assist with the study start-up process, facilitate site selection activities and negotiate the contracts and budgets. We are not involved with conducting the trials.
Q: So is Interspond a study broker?
A: No. Interspond is a TMO and we don’t charge any fees to sites for our services. We have “skin in the game,” which means our revenue is tied to the enrollment of the sites which gives us a much greater incentive to work with good sites, complete all necessary paperwork in a timely fashion and advocate for sites submitted through Interspond. If sites don’t get selected or selected sites don’t enroll patients, Interspond does not generate any revenue other than minimal start-up fees.
Q: How many sites do you have in your database?
A: Currently, Interspond has approximately 100 sites in our database. Over the years we have narrowed the list to better serve our clients. We know our sites better as we understand their capabilities and know their staff. This puts us in much stronger position when advocating for sites.
Q: Can any site work with Interspond?
A: No. Interspond does not work with academic-based hospital sites, academic sites nor sites that are members of other networks.
Q: How can sites come to work with Interspond?
A: Sites interested in working with Interspond can contact us to be considered. We vet new sites very carefully. We strive to know as much as we can about the site, their metrics on previous studies, their PI’s research experience, their facility details, etc. We then determine whether or not the site will be a good fit for our business model. We also make sure not to work with too many sites in a specific geographic area.
Q: How long has your staff been in the industry?
A: Led by Interspond President Kathy S. Cox, who has been in the industry since 1989, our dedicated team has decades of combined experience in our and other relevant industries. You can read more on our about page.
Q: Why should I work with Interspond as opposed to one of your competitors?
A: Interspond is the network of choice for many of the top CROs and Sponsors. We have longevity in the industry and a solid and trusted reputation.