Pinnacle Clinical Research
Pinnacle Clinical Research is a PE-backed, multi-site clinical research site network operating 15 fully owned sites across Texas, New Jersey, and Nevada, conducting clinical trials in hepatology, CNS/Alzheimer's, cardiometabolic, and obesity for pharmaceutical sponsors and CROs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersSan Antonio, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Pinnacle Clinical Research does
Pinnacle Clinical Research (PCR) is a privately held, PE-backed multi-site clinical research site network founded in 2016 by Dr. Stephen Harrison and headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. The company operates 15 fully owned research sites across Texas, New Jersey, and Nevada, conducting clinical trials in complex therapeutic areas including Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD/MASH), CNS/Alzheimer's disease, cardiometabolic disorders, and obesity on behalf of pharmaceutical sponsors and Contract Research Organizations (CROs). Its core differentiator is therapeutic specialization — the network is built around specialized diagnostic infrastructure including FibroScan (vibration-controlled transient elastography), quantitative liver MRI with PDFF/MRE/cT1 capabilities, CDR-certified neurocognitive raters, and dedicated infusion suites — and access to diverse, bilingual patient populations, particularly Hispanic communities in South Texas. Pinnacle consistently ranks among the top global enrollers for MASH trials and reports operational metrics of sub-30-day trial activation, 48-hour contract/budget response turnaround, and 70–90%+ patient retention across longitudinal trials.
The company's business model is professional-services based: it contracts with pharmaceutical sponsors and CROs for trial execution and generates revenue through study enrollment, patient management, and data delivery across its site network. Patient recruitment flows from physician referral networks (with formal fax/EMR-based referral programs), community outreach with bilingual support, and direct patient engagement via free FibroScan liver screening and memory screening services. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; clinical trial participation is provided at no cost to patients, with all revenue contracted between Pinnacle and its sponsor/CRO clients.
Growth has been driven by a PE-backed roll-up strategy under LongueVue Capital Partners, which installed operating partner Adrian Otte as CEO. Between 2022 and 2024 the network expanded from 5 to 13 wholly owned sites through five add-on acquisitions — including South Texas Research Institute, The Cognitive and Research Center of New Jersey, Kerwin Medical Center, Bellaire Clinical Research, and Jubilee Clinical Research — broadening therapeutic breadth from liver disease into CNS/Alzheimer's, cardiometabolic, and obesity. In late 2024, founding STRI CEO Dr. Rashmee Patil transitioned to the Chief Medical Officer role, completing a leadership professionalization consistent with institutional scaling.
Pinnacle Clinical Research firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Pinnacle Clinical Research
- Legal name
- Pinnacle Clinical Research
- Website
- https://pinnacleresearch.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Pinnacle Clinical Research is a PE-backed, multi-site clinical research site network operating 15 fully owned sites across Texas, New Jersey, and Nevada, conducting clinical trials in hepatology, CNS/Alzheimer's, cardiometabolic, and obesity for pharmaceutical sponsors and CROs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Pinnacle Clinical Research industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Clinical Research Services
- NAICS
- Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Liver & GI Clinical Research (Trials Centers) (HLAKAEAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Clinical Trial Site Operations & Study Coordination (HLAGACAE), Clinical Site Start-Up & Activation (Regulatory/Ethics/Contracts) (HLAGACAC)
Keywords
Where Pinnacle Clinical Research is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Antonio
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices14 records
Markets served
Pinnacle Clinical Research business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Clinical Trial Contract Research: Pinnacle conducts clinical trials on behalf of pharmaceutical sponsors and CROs. Revenue is generated through contracted research agreements for study execution, patient enrollment, and data collection across their site network. The company has grown through M&A consolidation of clinical research sites.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Pinnacle Clinical Research product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Pinnacle Clinical Research operates a network of 15 fully owned clinical research sites across the United States that conduct clinical trials on behalf of pharmaceutical sponsors and CROs. The company specializes in complex therapeutic areas including Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD/MASH), CNS/Alzheimer's disease, cardiometabolic disorders, and obesity, providing study startup, patient enrollment, site management, and data collection services. It also offers free FibroScan liver diagnostics and memory screening programs to support patient identification and recruitment across its site network.
Product overview
Pinnacle Clinical Research operates as a premier multi-site clinical research network offering integrated research services across multiple therapeutic areas. The company's portfolio includes its core clinical trial site network of 15 wholly-owned locations across Texas, New Jersey, Nevada, and California, supported by specialized diagnostic services including FibroScan® liver diagnostics and memory screening programs. The network focuses on complex therapeutic areas including Steatotic Liver Disease (SLD/MASH), CNS/Alzheimer's disease, Cardiometabolic disorders, and Obesity, providing sponsors with rapid study startup, top-tier enrollment, and access to diverse, research-ready patient populations. The company offers centralized operations, therapeutic expertise, and scalable footprint to ensure trials are executed with precision and speed, with trial activation typically under 30 days.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Clinical Trial Site Network
- SLD/MASH Clinical Trials
- CNS/Alzheimer's Disease Clinical Trials
- Cardiometabolic Disorders Clinical Trials
- Obesity Clinical Trials
- FibroScan Liver Diagnostic Services
Quantifiable outcome
- 48-hour turnaround on initial contract/budget response; 7-10 business days from receipt to execution
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Pinnacle Clinical Research
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Pinnacle Clinical Research technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability1 record
Feature4 records
Pinnacle Clinical Research partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- South Texas Research Institute (STRI)coreSouth Texas Research Institute partnered with Pinnacle Clinical Research in 2022. Dr. Rashmee Patil, Founder of STRI, served as CEO of the combined entity from 2022-2024. STRI grew from one site and five employees in 2020 to 2 locations and over 30 team members before the partnership. During Dr. Patil's leadership, Pinnacle grew from 5 to 13 wholly owned sites.
- Houston Research InstitutecoreFounded by Dr. Mazen Noureddin, Chief Science Officer and Co-Chairman of the Board at Pinnacle. Houston Research Institute is a state-of-the-art clinical research facility focused on advancing innovative diagnostics and breakthrough therapies in liver disease, now part of the Pinnacle network.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Pinnacle Clinical Research competitors and assessment
Company assessmentPeers
Direct peers
- Velocity Clinical Research: Private equity-backed (Gryphon Investors) network of wholly owned clinical research sites across the U.S. Like Pinnacle, Velocity consolidates fragmented sites via M&A, executes multi-therapeutic trials, and competes for the same sponsor and CRO RFPs.
- DM Clinical Research: Texas-based multi-site clinical research network with therapeutic breadth across internal medicine, endocrinology, and women's health. Directly comparable in scale, operating model (wholly owned sites), and sponsor/CRO customer base to Pinnacle.
- Elligo Health Research: Clinical research site network that integrates community-based physicians into trials. Pinnacle's COO Eli Alford previously served as Elligo's COO, evidencing direct operational comparability and talent pipeline overlap.
- Accelerated Enrollment Solutions (AES): PPD's (now Thermo Fisher Scientific) dedicated patient enrollment site network focused on accelerated startup and enrollment. Competes with Pinnacle for the same multi-therapeutic sponsor studies, particularly in primary care and specialty indications.
Broad incumbents
- IQVIA: Largest global CRO with an integrated site network and decentralized trial capabilities. Competes for sponsor site-network RFPs and offers end-to-end clinical development services well beyond Pinnacle's site-only scope.
Others
- Syneos Health: Large biopharmaceutical solutions organization combining CRO services with a clinical site network. Overlaps with Pinnacle on site-level trial execution while offering full-service clinical development to sponsors.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Pinnacle Clinical Research social profiles
Digital presencePinnacle Clinical Research financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Pinnacle Clinical Research leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Pinnacle Clinical Research subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries7 records
Pinnacle Clinical Research funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Pinnacle Clinical Research M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Pinnacle Clinical Research
What does Pinnacle Clinical Research do?
Pinnacle Clinical Research operates a network of 15 fully owned clinical research sites across the United States that conduct clinical trials on behalf of pharmaceutical sponsors and CROs. The company specializes in complex therapeutic areas including Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD/MASH), CNS/Alzheimer's disease, cardiometabolic disorders, and obesity, providing study startup, patient enrollment, site management, and data collection services. It also offers free FibroScan liver diagnostics and memory screening programs to support patient identification and recruitment across its site network.
Is Pinnacle Clinical Research a public or private company?
Pinnacle Clinical Research is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Pinnacle Clinical Research founded?
Pinnacle Clinical Research was founded in 2016. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Pinnacle Clinical Research based?
Pinnacle Clinical Research is headquartered in San Antonio, United States, in the North America region.
How does Pinnacle Clinical Research make money?
One revenue line is on record: clinical Trial Contract Research.
Who are Pinnacle Clinical Research's main competitors?
ICON plc is listed as a peer. Direct peers are Velocity Clinical Research, DM Clinical Research, Elligo Health Research and Accelerated Enrollment Solutions (AES). IQVIA is listed as a broad incumbent. Syneos Health is listed as an others.
Does Pinnacle Clinical Research have an API?
No public API is recorded for Pinnacle Clinical Research.
What industry is Pinnacle Clinical Research in?
Pinnacle Clinical Research's product category is Clinical Research Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAKAEAL, Liver & GI Clinical Research (Trials Centers), with a secondary code of HLAGACAE, Clinical Trial Site Operations & Study Coordination. Its NAICS code is 5417 and its SIC code is 8731.