Cato Research
Global full-service CRO providing end-to-end clinical development, regulatory strategy, clinical pharmacology, and pharmacovigilance services to small and mid-sized biopharma sponsors, with therapeutic centers of expertise in oncology, neuroscience, rare diseases, and cell & gene therapy across 70+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersCary, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Cato Research does
Allucent, operating from the Cary, North Carolina headquarters associated with the original Cato Research entity, is a global full-service Contract Research Organization (CRO) that delivers end-to-end clinical development services to small and mid-sized biopharmaceutical companies. Its service portfolio spans clinical trial management (study start-up, site feasibility, patient recruitment, decentralized trials, data management, biostatistics, medical monitoring), clinical pharmacology (PK/PD studies, modeling and simulation, embedded pharmacologist consulting), regulatory strategy (CMC, preclinical support, submissions, GxP consulting), drug safety and pharmacovigilance (clinical trial safety and post-marketing surveillance including PASS studies), and government/public health research services. Delivery is organized around Allucent Centers of Expertise (ACEs), which concentrate therapeutic specialization in oncology and hematology, immunology and inflammation, neuroscience, infectious disease and vaccines, cardiometabolic, allergy and asthma, and cross-over areas including cell and gene therapy, rare diseases, and pediatrics, and is supported by the proprietary IGNITE Clinical Research Site Network designed to accelerate site selection and patient enrollment.
Cumulative operating scale is substantial: 1,090+ clinical trials executed, 825+ annual regulatory submissions, 105+ successful marketing applications supported, 650+ drugs covered across all modalities, and operations spanning 70+ countries with regional headquarters in Cary (North America), Bracknell (United Kingdom), and Schiphol (Netherlands). The firm employs 501-1,000 professionals, including 12 former regulators across six regulatory agencies, providing agency-side insight into submission strategy.
The business model is professional-services based, with custom multi-year engagements quoted per project. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and requires consultation requests. The go-to-market motion is sales-led and relationship-driven, targeting enterprise biotech and biopharma sponsors with complex pipelines, supported by content marketing, webinars, podcasts, white papers, case studies, and industry event participation. The firm is privately held with private equity sponsorship from JLL Partners and Water Street Healthcare Partners and is currently led by CEO Paula Brown Stafford.
Cato Research firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cato Research
- Legal name
- Allucent
- Website
- https://cato.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Global full-service CRO providing end-to-end clinical development, regulatory strategy, clinical pharmacology, and pharmacovigilance services to small and mid-sized biopharma sponsors, with therapeutic centers of expertise in oncology, neuroscience, rare diseases, and cell & gene therapy across 70+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cato Research industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Contract Research Organization (CRO) 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 CROs (Phase I–IV) (HLAGAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Clinical Data Management, Biostatistics & Statistical Programming CROs (HLAGAAAF), Specialty Therapeutic-Area CROs (e.g., oncology/rare disease) (HLAGAAAL), Pharmacovigilance, Risk Management & Medical Affairs CROs (HLAGAAAH)
Keywords
Where Cato Research is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cary
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Cato Research business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- CRO Clinical Development Services: Full-service contract research organization providing end-to-end clinical trial services including study start-up, site feasibility, patient recruitment, data management, biostatistics, and regulatory submissions for pharmaceutical and biotech clients across all phases of drug development.
- Clinical Pharmacology Services: Specialized PK/PD studies, first-in-human studies, PopPK modeling, and clinical trial simulation services supporting drug development decision-making.
- Regulatory Strategy and Submissions: Regulatory intelligence, global strategy, IND and NDA submissions, CMC consulting, and GxP compliance services.
- Drug Safety and Pharmacovigilance: Clinical trial safety monitoring and post-marketing surveillance services including PASS studies.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom professional services engagement |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels9 records
Cato Research product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cato Research is a global, full-service Contract Research Organization (CRO) delivering end-to-end clinical development, clinical pharmacology, regulatory strategy, and drug safety/pharmacovigilance services. The firm supports small and mid-sized biopharma sponsors through study start-up, site feasibility, patient recruitment, clinical monitoring, data management, biostatistics, and IND/NDA submission work. Post-marketing research, real-world evidence studies, and government/public health clinical research are also part of the core portfolio.
Product overview
Allucent is a global, full-service CRO (Contract Research Organization) offering an integrated platform of clinical development services for small and mid-sized biopharma companies. The portfolio centers on five interconnected service pillars: Clinical Development Services (managing trials from start-up through execution, including the IGNITE Site Network for rapid patient enrollment), Clinical Pharmacology Services (PK/PD studies, modeling and simulation, pharmacokinetics), Regulatory Strategy Services (submissions, CMC, GxP consulting), Drug Safety & Pharmacovigilance (trial safety and post-marketing surveillance), and Government & Public Health Services. These services are delivered through Allucent Centers of Expertise (ACEs), specialized therapeutic hubs covering Oncology & Hematology, Immunology & Inflammation, Neuroscience, Cell & Gene Therapy, Cardiometabolic Disease, Rare Disease, and Infectious Disease. Allucent Consulting extends the offering into post-marketing studies and real-world evidence. The company operates across more than 60 countries with expertise from over 30 years of regulatory and therapeutic experience.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Allucent Consulting: Post-marketing study expertise applied to help demonstrate real-world value of products and collect insights for regulatory cases.
- IGNITE Site Network
- ACEs (Allucent Centers of Expertise)
Products and services
- Clinical Development Services End-to-end clinical trial management including study start-up and site feasibility, patient recruitment and retention, decentralized clinical trials, data management, biostatistics and statistical programming, and medical monitoring services for biopharma sponsors.
- IGNITE Site Network A proprietary clinical research site network designed to accelerate site selection and patient enrollment for clinical trials across multiple therapeutic areas.
- Clinical Pharmacology Services Drug development strategy and regulatory support, clinical modeling and simulation (including PopPK and exposure-response), end-to-end pharmacokinetics services, and embedded pharmacologist consulting for sponsors.
- Regulatory Strategy Services CMC and preclinical support, clinical strategy, biostatistical consulting, regulatory submissions (IND/NDA), and GxP consulting for global regulatory navigation across multiple agencies.
- Drug Safety and Pharmacovigilance Clinical trial safety monitoring and post-marketing pharmacovigilance services, including post-approval safety studies (PASS) for marketed products.
- Government and Public Health Services Clinical research services tailored for government agencies and public health sector clients, supporting government-sponsored trials and population health initiatives.
- Allucent Consulting (Post-Marketing Services) Post-marketing study expertise applied to help sponsors demonstrate the real-world value of products and collect insights for regulatory cases through surveillance programs and pharmacovigilance support.
Quantifiable outcome
- 105+ successful marketing applications supported
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Cato Research
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Cato Research technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Cato Research partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Cato Research competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Parexel International: Parexel is a major global CRO offering clinical development, regulatory consulting, and post-approval services, recently taken private by EQT-Goldman. It directly overlaps with Allucent's biotech/biopharma customer base and full-service portfolio.
- Thermo Fisher Scientific (PPD): Thermo Fisher's PPD clinical research business provides full-service CRO services including clinical development, patient recruitment, biostatistics, and post-approval services. It competes with Allucent for biotech sponsor trials at all phases and therapeutic areas, supported by the parent company's scale.
- ICON plc: ICON (post-PRA Health merger) is a top-tier global CRO offering clinical development, laboratory, and consulting services. It directly competes with Allucent for biotech and biopharma sponsors across all phases, with similar full-service and therapeutic specialization capabilities but significantly larger scale.
- IQVIA: IQVIA is the world's largest CRO with full-service clinical development, data management, biostatistics, and regulatory services across all therapeutic areas and phases. It competes with Allucent on large global trials and biotech sponsor engagements, though it operates at meaningfully greater scale and breadth.
- Labcorp Drug Development (Fortrea): Fortrea (spun off from Labcorp) is a global CRO providing clinical development, clinical pharmacology, and central laboratory services. It is highly comparable to Allucent across full-service clinical operations, bioanalytical/PK, and regulatory offerings.
- Charles River Laboratories: Charles River Laboratories provides discovery, preclinical, and clinical (via its CDMO/CRO segments including the former CRL Clinical Services) services. It overlaps with Allucent on early-phase clinical pharmacology and bioanalytical work but extends earlier into preclinical.
Direct peers
- Premier Research: Premier Research is a mid-size CRO specializing in rare disease, oncology, and pediatric trials for small and mid-sized biotech sponsors. It competes head-to-head with Allucent's ACEs in rare disease and cell & gene therapy, with similar therapeutic focus and customer segment.
- Medpace: Medpace is a mid-size CRO with a strong focus on small and mid-sized biotech sponsors, mirroring Allucent's GTM motion. Both compete aggressively for Phase II/III biotech trials, with overlapping therapeutic areas in oncology, rare disease, and metabolic disease.
- Syneos Health: Syneos Health (now private under Elliott/Veritas) is a full-service biopharmaceutical solutions organization offering clinical development and commercial services. It targets similar biotech and biopharma sponsors with comparable clinical and regulatory offerings.
- Worldwide Clinical Trials: Worldwide Clinical Trials is a mid-size global CRO focused on complex therapeutic areas (rare disease, neuroscience, oncology, cardiometabolic). It is one of the closest direct competitors to Allucent in therapeutic specialization and biotech sponsor focus.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cato Research social profiles
Digital presenceCato Research financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cato Research leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Cato Research funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cato Research 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 Cato Research
What does Cato Research do?
Cato Research is a global, full-service Contract Research Organization (CRO) delivering end-to-end clinical development, clinical pharmacology, regulatory strategy, and drug safety/pharmacovigilance services. The firm supports small and mid-sized biopharma sponsors through study start-up, site feasibility, patient recruitment, clinical monitoring, data management, biostatistics, and IND/NDA submission work. Post-marketing research, real-world evidence studies, and government/public health clinical research are also part of the core portfolio.
Is Cato Research a public or private company?
Cato Research is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Cato Research founded?
Cato Research was founded in 1994. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Cato Research based?
Cato Research is headquartered in Cary, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cato Research make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. CRO Clinical Development Services are the primary driver. The others are clinical Pharmacology Services, regulatory Strategy and Submissions and drug Safety and Pharmacovigilance.
Who are Cato Research's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Parexel International, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PPD), ICON plc, IQVIA, Labcorp Drug Development (Fortrea) and Charles River Laboratories. Direct peers are Premier Research, Medpace, Syneos Health and Worldwide Clinical Trials.
Does Cato Research have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cato Research.
What industry is Cato Research in?
Cato Research's product category is Contract Research Organization (CRO) Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAAAA, Clinical CROs (Phase I–IV), with a secondary code of HLAGAAAF, Clinical Data Management, Biostatistics & Statistical Programming CROs. Its NAICS code is 54171 and its SIC code is 8731.