MDFirst Research

What MDFirst Research does

MDFirst Research is a privately held clinical research site organization (SMO/site) headquartered in Lancaster, South Carolina, that conducts Phase II through Phase IV clinical trials for pharmaceutical sponsors and Contract Research Organizations (CROs). The site executes studies across medications, vaccines, medical devices, and sample collection protocols, with a reported track record of 35+ completed studies and a 100+ target enrollment per study. Operationally, the company runs from a single regional facility with a subject database of 10,000+ potential participants and claims 20+ years of cumulative Principal Investigator experience across the team.

The company's core offering is end-to-end clinical trial execution — subject recruitment, study management, data integrity, and regulatory compliance — delivered through a direct enterprise sales motion to sponsors and CROs, complemented by direct-to-patient recruitment via website, phone, email, and community events. Underlying technology is limited to clinical trial infrastructure (facilities, subject database, standard data management workflows); no proprietary software platform, AI/ML capabilities, APIs, or integrations are disclosed. Revenue is generated on a professional-services basis, with per-study pricing negotiated individually with sponsors and not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market combines enterprise field sales for sponsor/CRO partnerships with grassroots community engagement in South Carolina — including Provider Fair 2026, Red Rose Festival 2026, and Morning Business Connection 2026 — to drive patient enrollment and physician referrals.

Name

MDFirst Research

Legal name

MDFirst Research

Website

https://mdfirstresearch.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MDFirst Research is a privately held, single-site clinical research organization in Lancaster, South Carolina that conducts Phase II-IV trials of medications, vaccines, and devices for pharmaceutical sponsors and CROs, drawing on a 10,000+ subject database.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Clinical Research Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Clinical Trial Site Operations & Study Coordination (HLAGACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Clinical Trial Monitoring Support (On-site/Remote) (HLAGACAG), Site Data Management Support (EDC/Source/SDV Readiness) (HLAGACAL)

Keywords

• Clinical trial services
• Clinical research site
• Phase II-IV trials
• Subject recruitment
• Medical device trials

Headquarters

HQ city

Lancaster

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Clinical Trial Services: MDFirst Research generates revenue by conducting clinical trials for pharmaceutical sponsors and CROs. They receive compensation for study execution, subject recruitment, data management, and regulatory compliance services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

MDFirst Research operates as a clinical trial site conducting Phase II through Phase IV clinical trials for medications, vaccines, medical devices, and sample collection studies. Core services include subject recruitment from a database of 10,000+ potential participants, comprehensive project management, data management, and regulatory compliance oversight. The organization partners with pharmaceutical sponsors and Contract Research Organizations (CROs) to execute studies, while also engaging directly with study participants for enrollment and care.

Product overview

MDFirst Research is a clinical research organization offering a unified suite of clinical trial services. The company provides end-to-end clinical trial management, conducting Phase II through Phase IV trials for pharmaceuticals, vaccines, devices, and sample collection studies. Core offerings include subject recruitment from a database of 10,000+ potential participants, expert physician collaboration, state-of-the-art facilities, and comprehensive project management ensuring data integrity and regulatory compliance. The Clinical Trial Services product encompasses the full spectrum of trial execution from recruitment through completion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Clinical Trial Services Comprehensive clinical trial management services conducting Phase II to Phase IV trials for medications, vaccines, medical devices, and sample collection studies. Services include subject recruitment from a 10,000+ subject database, data management, regulatory compliance, and full project management for pharmaceutical sponsors and CROs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 35+ studies completed
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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 and minor.

• Renowned Physicians and ResearcherscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMDFirst Research collaborates with physicians and researchers in the South Carolina region to pioneer innovative treatments across a wide range of medical conditions as part of their clinical trial operations.
• Gallo Chester County OperationsminorOthersMDFirst Research hosts the Provider Fair 2026 event at Gallo Chester County Operations facility located at 2386 Catawba River Rd, Fort Lawn, SC 29714, demonstrating community partnership for healthcare provider outreach.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Benchmark Research: Benchmark Research operates clinical trial sites focused on vaccine and infectious disease trials, similar to MDFirst Research's vaccine and device study mix. It is a smaller, regionally focused site network with comparable Phase II–IV positioning.
• Flourish Research: Flourish Research is an integrated clinical trial site network formed through roll-up of independent sites, conducting Phase II–IV trials for pharmaceutical sponsors. Its site-network model and recent acquisition-driven growth make it a relevant comparable for MDFirst Research's potential expansion trajectory.
• CenExel Clinical Research: CenExel is a multi-site clinical research organization network focused on Phase I–IV trials across CNS, pain, vaccines, and other therapeutic areas. Like MDFirst Research, it generates revenue from sponsor/CRO contracts and depends on PI expertise and subject recruitment databases as differentiators.
• Wake Research: Wake Research is a network of clinical trial sites across the U.S. Southeast, conducting Phase II–IV studies for pharma sponsors and CROs. Its geographic overlap with MDFirst Research in the Southeast and similar Phase II–IV positioning make it a strong direct comparable.
• Velocity Clinical Research: Velocity Clinical Research is one of the largest dedicated clinical trial site networks in the U.S., conducting Phase II–IV trials across multiple therapeutic areas. It is the most direct peer to MDFirst Research in terms of business model — site-based clinical research for sponsors and CROs — but operates at significantly greater scale and geographic breadth.
• Accel Clinical Research: Accel Clinical Research is a multi-therapeutic clinical trial site network conducting Phase II–IV studies for sponsors and CROs. It competes for the same sponsor study allocations and subject recruitment pools as MDFirst Research.

Broad incumbents

• IQVIA: IQVIA is the largest global CRO and offers site management services as part of its broad clinical research portfolio. While not a direct site competitor, IQVIA is the dominant buyer of site services and sets standards MDFirst Research must meet to be considered for major sponsor programs.
• Medpace: Medpace is a mid-sized global CRO that runs full-service Phase II–IV trials, often through its own site network and preferred site partners. As a sponsor-facing CRO, it influences which sites win study placements, making it a relevant incumbent comparable for MDFirst Research's sponsor pipeline.
• ICON plc: ICON plc is a top-tier global CRO with deep Phase II–IV trial capabilities and a large site network through its PRA Health Sciences acquisition. It is a relevant incumbent comparable given MDFirst Research's positioning as a Phase II–IV site for sponsor/CRO partnerships.
• Syneos Health: Syneos Health is a fully integrated biopharmaceutical solutions organization combining CRO and contract commercial services. It runs clinical trials through preferred site networks and is a relevant incumbent comparable for MDFirst Research's sponsor engagement model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mdfirsthealth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 MDFirst Research