Coastal Research Institute

What Coastal Research Institute does

Coastal Research Institute is a physician-driven clinical research organization (CRO site) headquartered at 2139 Valleygate Dr Suite 101B, Fayetteville, North Carolina, specializing in Phase II, III, and IV pharmaceutical clinical trials with a therapeutic focus on metabolic and gastrointestinal conditions including MASLD/MASH (fatty liver disease), Diabetic Gastroparesis, weight management, and Primary Biliary Cholangitis. The institute operates a single-site model, contracting with community physicians who serve as investigators, and employs a clinical team comprising Clinical Research Coordinators (CRCs), Registered Nurses (RNs), and sub-investigators (MDs, DOs, PA-Cs). A key technical component is the use of Fibroscan (transient elastography) for non-invasive liver stiffness and fat measurement, deployed through a Free Liver Health Screening program that serves as a patient acquisition funnel into sponsored trials.

The organization's business model is professional services revenue earned from contracts with pharmaceutical companies, CROs, and research sponsors to conduct trials at its investigator site. All trial-related care, diagnostics, and treatments are provided at no cost to participants, consistent with industry standard where sponsors fund trial costs. Patient recruitment is community-led, leveraging physician network referrals, direct outreach, social media (Facebook, YouTube), the institute's website, and free community screening events. Coastal Research Institute operates as an affiliated site within the Rovia Clinical Research Network, with parent company Rovia providing digital recruitment platforms, data management, and HIPAA-compliant communications support via the StudyMetrix platform.

The company is a privately held subsidiary of Rovia Clinical Research, with no disclosed funding rounds, public listing, or external investment. Marketing channels emphasize patient education and community engagement in the southeastern US, and the institute documents research outcomes through a Medical Publications Program. No revenue figures, headcount totals, certifications, patents, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed in the source materials.

Name

Coastal Research Institute

Legal name

Coastal Research Institute

Website

https://coastalresearchnc.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Coastal Research Institute is a physician-driven clinical research site in Fayetteville, North Carolina, conducting Phase II–IV pharmaceutical trials in metabolic and gastrointestinal conditions (MASLD/MASH, Diabetic Gastroparesis, weight loss, PBC) for pharmaceutical sponsors, with patient recruitment driven by community physician networks and free Fibroscan liver screenings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Clinical Research Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Clinical Trial Site Operations & Study Coordination (HLAGACAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Liver & GI Clinical Research (Trials Centers) (HLAKAEAL)

Keywords

• Clinical research services
• Pharmaceutical clinical trials
• Hepatology research
• Gastroenterology trials
• Metabolic disease trials

Headquarters

HQ city

Fayetteville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Clinical Trial Contract Research: Revenue generated from contracting with pharmaceutical companies, contract research organizations (CROs), and research sponsors to conduct clinical trials. The institute provides investigator sites, patient recruitment, and study execution services in exchange for contractual fees per trial.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Coastal Research Institute is a physician-driven clinical research organization that conducts Phase II, III, and IV pharmaceutical trials in metabolic and gastrointestinal therapeutic areas, including MASLD/MASH (fatty liver disease), diabetic gastroparesis, weight loss, and primary biliary cholangitis. It contracts with community physicians as investigators and recruits patients through free Fibroscan liver screenings and physician referrals. All trial-related care, diagnostics, and treatments are provided at no cost to participants, with revenue derived from contractual fees paid by pharmaceutical sponsors and CROs.

Product overview

Coastal Research Institute is a physician-driven clinical research organization offering a portfolio of Phase II, III, and IV pharmaceutical clinical trials. The core offerings include trials for MASLD/MASH (Fatty Liver Disease), Diabetic Gastroparesis, Weight Loss, and Primary Biliary Cholangitis. Free Liver Health Screening (Fibroscan) is offered as a diagnostic service supporting trial recruitment. The Medical Publications Program documents research outcomes. All trial-related care, diagnostics, and treatments are provided at no cost to participants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MASLD/MASH (Fatty Liver Disease) Clinical Trials Clinical trials investigating treatments for Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) and its severe form MASH (steatohepatitis), offering participants free Fibroscan screenings and access to investigational therapies for fatty liver disease.
• Diabetic Gastroparesis Clinical Trials Clinical trials exploring innovative therapies for Diabetic Gastroparesis (DGP), a condition that delays stomach emptying in long-term diabetes patients, aiming to improve symptoms such as nausea, bloating, and quality of life.
• Weight Loss Clinical Trials Clinical trials exploring therapies addressing root causes of obesity, focusing on hormonal regulation, appetite control, and metabolic function for sustainable weight management in obese or overweight individuals.
• Primary Biliary Cholangitis Clinical Trials Clinical trials for Primary Biliary Cholangitis, a chronic autoimmune liver disease affecting the bile ducts, offering investigational treatment options to patients with this condition.
• Free Liver Health Screening Complimentary non-invasive liver scans using Fibroscan (transient elastography) technology to detect early signs of fatty liver disease, available to individuals experiencing unexplained fatigue, abdominal discomfort, or elevated liver enzymes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free, non-invasive liver scans provided to detect early signs of fatty liver disease at no cost to participants

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Rovia Clinical ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoastal Research Institute is owned by Rovia Clinical Research, a physician-driven clinical research organization. Rovia provides operational infrastructure, digital recruitment platforms, data management systems, and HIPAA-compliant communications support. CRI operates as an affiliated research site within the Rovia Clinical Research Network, conducting trials under the parent company's regulatory and compliance framework.
• Community PhysicianscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCoastal Research Institute contracts with a variety of physicians in the Fayetteville community to serve as investigators in clinical trials. These physician-investigators enable the institute to conduct research across multiple therapeutic areas and provide patient referrals to ongoing studies.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Premier Research: Premier Research is a global CRO with particular depth in rare disease, gastroenterology, and hepatology trials. It is comparable to CRI as it targets many of the same GI and liver disease indications, but operates at much larger scale with global site management capabilities.
• IQVIA: IQVIA is the world's largest CRO with extensive site network, real-world data, and central laboratory capabilities. It is comparable to CRI in conducting late-stage GI, hepatology, and metabolic trials, but operates as a broad incumbent across the entire clinical research value chain.
• Medpace: Medpace is a global mid-sized CRO providing full-service clinical trial execution across all phases and major therapeutic areas including metabolic diseases. It is comparable to CRI as a competitor vying for the same Phase II-IV metabolic and liver disease trials, but at vastly greater scale.
• ICON plc: ICON plc is a global CRO offering clinical research, site management, and laboratory services across all major therapeutic areas. It is comparable to CRI as a major sponsor of multisite Phase II-IV trials in GI and metabolic indications, far exceeding CRI's scale and site footprint.
• Syneos Health: Syneos Health is a fully integrated biopharmaceutical solutions organization running clinical trials across all therapeutic areas. It is comparable to CRI as a competitor for late-stage metabolic and liver disease trials, with both contract research operations and site solutions divisions.

Direct peers

• Accel Research Sites: Accel Research Sites is a multi-therapeutic clinical research site network operating Phase II-IV trials with community-based enrollment. It is comparable to CRI as a physician-investigator model site organization running trials in gastroenterology, hepatology, and metabolic indications.
• Circuit Clinical: Circuit Clinical is a research site network that conducts trials across multiple therapeutic areas through community-based investigators. It is comparable to CRI as a smaller, multi-specialty SMO using direct community outreach and physician partnerships to recruit trial participants.
• Velocity Clinical Research: Velocity Clinical Research is an integrated clinical trial site network that conducts Phase II-IV trials across multiple therapeutic areas. It is directly comparable to Coastal Research Institute as a multi-site SMO model that recruits patients through community physicians and offers free diagnostic screenings to support enrollment.
• Javara: Javara is an integrated research organization that embeds clinical trials within community healthcare practices. It is directly comparable to CRI as a model that leverages community physician relationships to drive trial enrollment and patient access to investigational therapies.
• Elligo Health Research: Elligo Health Research operates a network of community-based clinical research sites and provides technology-enabled patient recruitment and trial operations support. It is comparable to CRI as a community physician-driven site organization that helps pharmaceutical sponsors recruit from non-academic settings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses6 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Coastalresearchnc-LLC

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Coastal Research Institute