Rho
Rho is a privately held full-service Contract Research Organization providing Phase I-IV clinical trial execution, biometrics, regulatory strategy, and quality assurance to pharmaceutical, biotech, and government clients across the US and Europe.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersDurham, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Rho does
Rho is a privately held full-service Contract Research Organization (CRO) founded in 1986 and headquartered in Durham, North Carolina, with European headquarters in Riga, Latvia. The company provides Phase I-IV clinical trial execution, biometrics, regulatory strategy and submissions, and quality assurance services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology sponsors as well as US government agencies (NIH, CDC, BARDA) and patient foundations including the Michael J. Fox Foundation, Parkinson's Foundation, and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
The company's core technical capabilities center on integrated clinical operations and biometrics, including protocol design (exemplified by the End-in-Mind Trial Design framework), Risk-Based Quality Management, and regulatory submission expertise across 50+ jurisdictions. Its operational footprint spans 12+ countries through wholly-owned subsidiaries such as Dokumeds SIA and multiple RhoWorld entities, enabling transatlantic trial conduct. Rho has contributed to landmark studies including OUtMATCH, which supported the FDA's 2024 approval of Xolair for food allergies.
Rho's business model is professional services-based, with revenue generated through per-project clinical trial engagements typically procured via RFP/RFI processes. Pricing is anchored on study scope, duration, and therapeutic complexity. Customer segments are diversified across enterprise pharma/biotech, US government public-health programs, and foundation-funded academic-style studies, with therapeutic focus areas including neurology (notably Parkinson's disease, supported by 30+ specialists and 90+ studies), respiratory, immunology, and pain. With 501-1,000 employees, Rho positions as a mid-sized full-service alternative between mega-CROs and boutique specialists.
Rho firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rho
- Legal name
- Rho, Inc.
- Website
- https://rhoworld.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Rho is a privately held full-service Contract Research Organization providing Phase I-IV clinical trial execution, biometrics, regulatory strategy, and quality assurance to pharmaceutical, biotech, and government clients across the US and Europe.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Rho industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Contract Research Services
- NAICS
- Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171)
- SIC
- Services-Medical Laboratories (8071)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Clinical CROs (Phase I–IV) (HLAGAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Specialty Therapeutic-Area CROs (e.g., oncology/rare disease) (HLAGAAAL), Medical Writing & Regulatory Submission Support CROs (HLAGAAAG)
Keywords
Where Rho is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Durham
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
Rho business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Clinical Research Services: Rho generates revenue through providing full-service clinical trial execution and regulatory support to pharmaceutical, biotech, and government clients. Services include clinical delivery, biometrics, regulatory strategy, and quality assurance. The engagement model is project-based with long-term partnerships typical.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom project-based pricing for clinical trial services |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Rho product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rho is a full-service Contract Research Organization (CRO) providing clinical drug development services to pharmaceutical, biotech, and government clients. Core offerings encompass clinical trial execution (project management, monitoring, pharmacovigilance), biometrics (biostatistics, statistical programming, CDISC-compliant data management), regulatory strategy and submissions (IND, NDA, BLA, MAA), and quality assurance across all clinical phases from Phase I through marketing applications.
Product overview
Rho is a full-service Contract Research Organization (CRO) offering a comprehensive suite of clinical development services organized around four core pillars: Clinical Delivery (project management, monitoring, pharmacovigilance, and risk-based quality management), Biometrics (biostatistics, statistical programming, and data management), Regulatory Strategy and Submissions, and Quality Assurance. The company operates with an 'End-in-Mind Trial Design' philosophy that aligns trial execution with regulatory approval goals from Phase I through marketing applications (NDA, BLA, MAA). Rho also provides specialized therapeutic expertise across five key areas: Neurology and Psychiatry, Respiratory, Pain Research, Immunology, and Government Partnerships (NIH, CDC, BARDA). The company was founded 40 years ago as a biometrics-focused organization and maintains dual headquarters in Durham, NC and Riga, Latvia.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Clinical Delivery
Quantifiable outcome
- Supported over 90 neurology and psychiatry studies across 840+ sites, enrolling over 6,500 participants
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Rho
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Rho technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Rho partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Michael J. Fox FoundationcoreCollaboration with the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, working together on Parkinson's disease clinical trials. The foundation leads the Parkinson's community in funding breakthrough research, and Rho provides execution expertise.
- Parkinson's FoundationcorePartnership with the Parkinson's Foundation to advance Parkinson's disease research through clinical trial collaboration, ensuring research is scientifically rigorous and centered on the Parkinson's community.
- Davis Phinney FoundationcoreCollaboration with the Davis Phinney Foundation on Parkinson's disease research initiatives, working to ensure studies reflect real patient and site needs.
- NIH (National Institutes of Health)coreCollaboration with NIH on federally funded research programs, including the landmark OUtMATCH study evaluating Xolair for multiple food allergies that led to FDA approval.
- CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)majorPartnership with CDC to advance public health research initiatives and clinical programs supporting national health priorities.
- BARDA (Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority)majorCollaboration with BARDA to advance public health research and medical countermeasure development.
- Cystic Fibrosis FoundationcorePartnership with Cystic Fibrosis Foundation supporting pivotal clinical trials advancing CF therapies worldwide, contributing to groundbreaking research across all phases of development.
- Immune Tolerance NetworkcoreCollaboration on landmark studies including the LEAP (Learning Early About Peanut Allergy) study, which influenced global pediatric guidelines for peanut introduction.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Rho competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- IQVIA: IQVIA is the largest global CRO and life sciences technology provider, offering full-service clinical development, real-world evidence, and commercial services. Rho competes with IQVIA for full-service Phase I-IV trials but lacks IQVIA's scale, R&D tech platform, and commercial services breadth.
- ICON plc: ICON is a top-tier global CRO providing clinical research, biometrics, and laboratory services across all therapeutic areas. Post-PRA Health Sciences acquisition, ICON is one of the largest full-service competitors to Rho in Phase I-IV trial execution and regulatory submissions.
- Labcorp Drug Development (formerly Covance): Labcorp Drug Development is a top-five global CRO providing clinical development, central laboratory, and diagnostics services. It competes with Rho across Phase I-IV clinical trials and central lab-enabled biometrics but operates at substantially larger scale.
- Syneos Health: Syneos Health is a large CRO offering Phase I-IV clinical development, biopharmaceutical solutions, and contract sales. Now taken private by Elliott/Veritas, Syneos is a direct competitor in clinical operations and biometrics with greater scale than Rho.
- Charles River Laboratories: Charles River is a large CRO offering preclinical, discovery, and clinical development services. While smaller than Rho in clinical operations, Charles River overlaps on biometrics, biostatistics, and laboratory-enabled clinical services.
- Thermo Fisher Scientific (PPD): PPD, acquired by Thermo Fisher in 2021, is a top-five global CRO offering Phase I-IV clinical development, laboratory, and lifecycle management services. PPD competes directly with Rho in full-service trial execution at meaningfully larger scale.
Direct peers
- Medpace: Medpace is a mid-to-large CRO with a therapeutically focused, full-service model centered on Phase I-IV trials, biometrics, and regulatory submissions. Medpace's size, profitability, and therapeutic-area focus make it the closest publicly traded comparable to Rho.
- Parexel International: Parexel is a mid-tier, PE-owned (EQT/Goldman Sachs) global CRO with therapeutic expertise and full-service clinical development capabilities. Parexel's size, therapeutic focus, and PE-backed structure closely mirror Rho's competitive position.
- Worldwide Clinical Trials: Worldwide Clinical Trials is a mid-tier, therapeutically focused CRO emphasizing CNS, rare disease, cardiometabolic, and oncology trials. Its mid-tier size, therapeutic specialization, and full-service Phase I-IV model closely parallel Rho's profile.
Emerging players
- Catalyst Clinical Research: Catalyst is a privately held, therapeutically focused CRO emphasizing oncology and rare disease trials. As a smaller, specialty peer, Catalyst competes with Rho for therapeutic-area-led, mid-sized biotech sponsors rather than large pharma mega-programs.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Rho social profiles
Digital presenceRho financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rho leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Rho subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries12 records
Rho funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rho M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Rho
What does Rho do?
Rho is a full-service Contract Research Organization (CRO) providing clinical drug development services to pharmaceutical, biotech, and government clients. Core offerings encompass clinical trial execution (project management, monitoring, pharmacovigilance), biometrics (biostatistics, statistical programming, CDISC-compliant data management), regulatory strategy and submissions (IND, NDA, BLA, MAA), and quality assurance across all clinical phases from Phase I through marketing applications.
Is Rho a public or private company?
Rho is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Rho founded?
Rho was founded in 1986. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Rho based?
Rho is headquartered in Durham, United States, in the North America region.
How does Rho make money?
One revenue line is on record: clinical Research Services.
Who are Rho's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are IQVIA, ICON plc, Labcorp Drug Development (formerly Covance), Syneos Health, Charles River Laboratories and Thermo Fisher Scientific (PPD). Direct peers are Medpace, Parexel International and Worldwide Clinical Trials. Catalyst Clinical Research is listed as an emerging player.
Does Rho have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rho.
What industry is Rho in?
Rho's product category is Contract Research Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAAAA, Clinical CROs (Phase I–IV), with a secondary code of HLAGAAAL, Specialty Therapeutic-Area CROs (e.g., oncology/rare disease). Its NAICS code is 5417 and its SIC code is 8071.