Evolution Research Group

What Evolution Research Group does

Evolution Research Group (ERG) is a privately held, PE-backed clinical research site company headquartered in Edison, New Jersey. Founded in 1998 and sponsored by Linden Capital Partners, ERG operates a network of 20+ wholly-owned clinical research units plus affiliated sites across the United States, including a 151-bed Phase I clinical pharmacology unit in Miami (Clinical Pharmacology of Miami) and approximately 400+ beds in total. The company provides Phase I–IV clinical trial execution services to pharmaceutical sponsors and CROs, with deep specialization in neuroscience (psychiatry, neurology, addiction, sleep disorders), acute and chronic pain, NASH, diabetes, and tobacco-related indications. The named customer base spans large and mid-cap pharmaceutical sponsors (Otsuka, Bayer, Biohaven, Axsome, Alkermes, Alkahest, Heron Therapeutics, Cortexyme) and global CROs (Medpace, Syneos Health, Premier Research).

ERG's service stack is anchored by centralized operations that deliver harmonized SOPs, quality assurance, budget and contracting, and a Scientific Leadership Team running twice-weekly feasibility reviews across all sites. Technology infrastructure includes a cloud-based centralized clinical management system providing aggregated dashboards and protocol management, plus MyTrialApp — a bilingual (English/Spanish) patient-facing mobile application supporting study enrollment, appointment management, and digital compensation access. The company holds proprietary methodological assets, including a placebo-response mitigation training program originated inside the Lotus Clinical Research subsidiary, and access to specialized clinical equipment (PSG sleep labs, fMRI/MRI/PET neuroimaging, FibroScan for liver assessment at Endeavor Clinical Trials) supporting complex early- and late-phase study designs. A database of more than 215,000 patients, refreshed daily and integrated with Facebook, MailChimp, and mass-SMS outreach, feeds centralized recruitment operations. The network is staffed by 40+ principal investigators and sub-investigators with experience across 50+ indications and has completed more than 5,000 trials cumulatively.

Revenue is generated primarily through per-study and per-patient fees negotiated under Master Service Agreements (MSAs) with pharmaceutical sponsors and CROs, with multi-year contractual arrangements and bespoke rate cards. The go-to-market combines enterprise direct sales to sponsor scientific leadership teams with CRO channel partnerships, plus an affiliate-site program that extends network capacity for early- and late-phase CNS trials. ERG has executed four documented acquisitions since 2019 (Finger Lakes Clinical Research, Richmond Behavioral Associates, Lotus Clinical Research, CNS Ratings), moving the company from a pure site-services operator into a broader clinical research services platform with CRO, rater-training, and centralized digital capabilities.

Name

Evolution Research Group

Legal name

Evolution Research Group, LLC

Website

https://ergclinical.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Evolution Research Group is a privately held U.S. clinical research site company operating 20+ wholly-owned units with 400+ beds, delivering Phase I–IV trial execution to pharmaceutical sponsors and CROs with specialization in CNS, pain, addiction, sleep, NASH, and diabetes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Clinical Research Site Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), 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 industries

Patient Recruitment, Site Feasibility & Trial Enablement CROs (HLAGAAAI), Clinical Site Start-Up & Activation (Regulatory/Ethics/Contracts) (HLAGACAC), Clinical CROs (Phase I–IV) (HLAGAAAA), Clinical Trial Informatics (EDC/CTMS/eCOA/eTMF) (HLAGAJAM)

Keywords

• Clinical research site services
• Clinical trial management
• Patient recruitment services
• Early phase studies
• CNS clinical research

Headquarters

HQ city

Edison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

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 Site Services: ERG provides clinical research site services to pharmaceutical sponsors and CROs. Services include conducting Phase I-IV clinical trials, patient recruitment, central lab services, and specialized procedure capabilities. Revenue is generated through per-patient fees, fixed per-study fees, and contractual agreements for multisite trials.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Evolution Research Group operates a network of 20+ wholly-owned clinical research sites conducting Phase I-IV clinical trials for pharmaceutical sponsors and CROs. The company delivers centralized operations including quality assurance, patient recruitment (215,000+ patient database), budget and contracting, and a 151-bed Phase I clinical pharmacology unit, with deep therapeutic expertise in CNS, pain, addiction, sleep, NASH, diabetes, and tobacco indications.

Product overview

Evolution Research Group (ERG) is a clinical research site company operating a platform of wholly-owned and affiliated clinical research sites. The portfolio includes a 151-bed Phase I clinical pharmacology unit, specialized pain research facilities with surgical suites, and 20+ clinical trial research units across CNS (psychiatry, neurology, addiction, sleep), metabolic (NASH, diabetes), and tobacco indications. The company provides centralized operational services including quality assurance, patient recruitment (with a 215,000+ patient database), budget and contracting, and scientific leadership team consulting. ERG expanded its capabilities through acquisitions including Lotus Clinical Research (CRO services), CNS Ratings (rater training), and Richmond Behavioral Associates. A patient-facing mobile application called MyTrialApp enables study participants to manage appointments, view compensation, and access study information.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Clinical Research Site Network Network of 20+ wholly-owned and affiliate clinical trial research units plus affiliate sites conducting Phase I-IV trials across CNS, pain, addiction, sleep, NASH, diabetes, and tobacco indications, with centralized operations including quality assurance, patient recruitment, and budget/contracting for pharmaceutical sponsors and CROs.
• Phase I Clinical Pharmacology Unit (CPMI) 151-bed Phase I clinical pharmacology unit specializing in first-in-human, SAD/MAD, food effect, drug-drug interaction, cardiac safety, renal/hepatic impairment, and bioequivalence studies with normal healthy volunteers and specialty populations.
• Acute Pain Research Facility with Surgical Suites Purpose-built research facility with dedicated operating rooms specializing in acute and postoperative pain studies, featuring private patient rooms, 24-hour medical coverage, and a CLIA-waived lab with double-locked narcotics storage, operated through HD Research.
• MyTrialApp Patient-facing mobile application that provides study participants with study updates, appointment management, digital wallet for compensation, and the ability to view and apply for available clinical studies. Available in English and Spanish.
• Lotus Clinical Research CRO Services Specialized full-service CRO offering strategic drug development, regulatory consulting services, and proprietary placebo response mitigation training for acute/chronic pain and CNS disorders.
• CNS Ratings Rater Training Services Global rater training and certification services for CNS clinical trials, featuring multi-lingual trainers, centralized screening services, tech-enabled surveillance, monitor training, and remote rating management systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% enrollment target achieved for normal healthy volunteer trials
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• CNS RatingscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 November 2021CNS Ratings joined the ERG portfolio in November 2021. It is the most established rater training company in the United States, having delivered robust programs internationally to the pharmaceutical industry for over 30 years. CNS Ratings focuses on both inter-rater and intra-rater reliability and establishing reliability across all levels of organization. Services include global rater training and certification, multi-lingual trainers, centralized screening services, tech-enabled surveillance, monitor training, and remote rating management systems.
• Lotus Clinical ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2021Founded in 2001 by Neil Singla, MD, Lotus Clinical Research joined the ERG portfolio in February 2021. Specializing in strategic drug development, regulatory consulting services, and placebo response mitigation training, Lotus has been instrumental in developing many important analgesic drugs over the past 20 years. The integration expanded ERG's service offering to include specialized full-service CRO capabilities, particularly in acute and chronic pain and CNS disorders.
• Richmond Behavioral AssociatescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 March 2020Evolution Research Group acquired Staten Island, NY-based Richmond Behavioral Associates in March 2020. Founded by Drs. Mark DiBuono and Adam Smith, RBA has been conducting CNS clinical trials for over 14 years across a broad range of illnesses including depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, and autism, in both pediatric and adult populations. The acquisition expanded ERG's footprint in the New York region.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• IQVIA: IQVIA is the world's largest clinical research services organization, combining clinical trial site operations, CRO services, and real-world evidence. It competes with ERG in CNS and complex Phase I–IV trials but at vastly greater scale and global reach.
• Syneos Health: Syneos Health is a fully integrated biopharmaceutical solutions organization offering both clinical development and commercial services, including site network management. It is a customer of ERG (per ERG's disclosed customers) and also competes for Phase II–IV site work.
• Medpace: Medpace is a mid-to-large CRO that conducts Phase I–IV clinical trials globally with therapeutic expertise across multiple areas. It is a disclosed CRO customer of ERG but also competes for similar CNS and complex trial work.
• ICON plc: ICON plc is one of the world's largest CROs (now including PRA Health Sciences) offering comprehensive Phase I–IV services globally. It competes with ERG for full-service CNS and complex trial programs at much larger scale.

Direct peers

• Worldwide Clinical Trials: Worldwide Clinical Trials is a mid-sized CRO with strong CNS, cardiovascular, and metabolic disease expertise, operating dedicated research units. It is one of the closest direct comparables to ERG in therapeutic specialization and Phase I capability.
• Celerion: Celerion is a clinical research organization specializing in early-phase clinical pharmacology, including first-in-human, cardiac safety, and PK studies. It is a direct competitor to ERG's Clinical Pharmacology of Miami Phase I unit.
• Altasciences: Altasciences is a mid-sized CRO offering preclinical, clinical pharmacology, and bioanalytical services with multiple Phase I clinical units in North America. It competes directly with ERG's early-phase and healthy volunteer capabilities.
• Advanced Clinical: Advanced Clinical is a mid-sized CRO and clinical staffing services provider with therapeutic expertise in oncology, CNS, and other complex areas. It is a comparable mid-market competitor to ERG for sponsor outsourced trial services.
• Biotrial: Biotrial is a CRO specializing in early-phase clinical trials and clinical pharmacology, with significant Phase I capacity. It is a direct peer to ERG's Clinical Pharmacology of Miami in early-phase healthy volunteer trials.
• Frontage Laboratories: Frontage Laboratories provides integrated clinical, bioanalytical, and preclinical research services including early-phase clinical operations. It is a comparable mid-market player overlapping with ERG in early-phase and specialty therapeutic capabilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ERGClinical

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A2 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Evolution Research Group