What Alpha Independent Review Board does

Alpha Independent Review Board, operating commercially as Sabai Global (with sub-brands Sabai IRB Services and Sabai IBC Services), is a U.S.-based, AAHRPP-accredited provider of independent Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) review services for human subjects and biosafety research. Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Chesterfield, Missouri, the firm serves pharmaceutical and biotech sponsors, medical device companies, contract research organizations (CROs), academic medical centers, and investigator-initiated research programs, providing initial reviews, continuing reviews, amendments, exempt determinations, single-patient expanded access/compassionate use reviews, and informed-consent consultation.

The company's core technology is the MySabai Portal — separate IRB and IBC web-based submission environments — which supports online document submission, real-time progress tracking, approval-letter retrieval, and electronic signatures compliant with FDA 21 CFR Part 11. Supporting offerings include CITI Program human-subjects-research training integration (free to affiliated investigators), translation services across twelve languages (Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, French, Greek, Korean, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Haitian Creole, Hungarian, Russian, Polish), and a Lighthouse Services third-party compliance hotline. The platform is positioned for multi-site clinical trials, single-site studies, registry research, and biohazardous-materials protocols involving recombinant DNA and infectious agents.

Sabai operates on a professional-services, quote-based revenue model with multi-year contracts; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Distribution combines a self-service web portal with a sales-led client-services team, supplemented by SMART IRB reliance-agreement participation that allows institutions to cede single-site review to Sabai. The company is privately held with no disclosed funding, ownership, or revenue data; named customers include Merck, MedPace, CenExel, Emmes, UC San Diego, and other pharmaceutical, CRO, and academic clients. The firm is FDA/OHRP registered and holds AAHRPP accreditation, providing regulatory credibility that materially differentiates it from non-accredited independent IRBs.

Name

Alpha Independent Review Board

Legal name

Sabai Global

Website

https://alphairb.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sabai Global (Alpha Independent Review Board) is an AAHRPP-accredited independent IRB and IBC review services provider, offering FDA 21 CFR Part 11-compliant submission portal technology and multi-language consent support to pharmaceutical, biotech, CRO, and academic medical center clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Institutional Review Board Services

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (541690), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Clinical Research Ethics & Human Subjects Protection Authorities (IRB/REC Oversight) (HLAJACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Clinical Quality Assurance (GCP QA, TMF/QMS oversight) (HLAGAKAI), Research Administration & Compliance (Sponsored Programs, IRB/REB) (EDADAKAH), Regulatory Strategy & IND/NDA/BLA Submissions Support (HLAIALAH)

Keywords

• IRB review services
• IBC review services
• Human subjects research
• Biosafety committee review
• Clinical trial compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

San Clemente

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. IRB Review Services: Institutional Review Board review services for human subjects research including initial reviews, continuing reviews, amendments, and safety reporting for pharmaceutical, biotech, device, and academic research studies
2. IBC Review Services: Institutional Biosafety Committee review services for biosafety matters in research involving recombinant DNA, pathogens, and biosafety level considerations
3. Translation Services: Translation services for informed consent forms and research materials into multiple languages including Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, French, Greek, Korean, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Haitian Creole, Hungarian, Russian, and Polish

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Alpha Independent Review Board, doing business as Sabai Global (Sabai IRB/Sabai IBC), provides Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) review services that protect the rights, safety and welfare of human research participants. Services include initial review, continuing review, amendments, safety reporting, exempt determination, single patient expanded access/compassionate use, informed consent pre-review, translation services, and combined IRB/IBC reviews for pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device, CRO, and academic medical center clients. Deliveries are supported by the proprietary MySabai online portal with 24/7 access and FDA 21 CFR Part 11-compliant electronic signatures.

Product overview

Sabai Global operates as a unified IRB and IBC review services provider with two core offerings: Sabai IRB Services (for human subjects research protection) and Sabai IBC Services (for biosafety committee reviews). Both services are supported by the MySabai digital platform, which provides online submission portals for managing IRB and IBC forms, tracking review progress, and accessing approval documents. Additional offerings include investigator training through CITI Program integration, compliance consulting, and translation services. The company follows FDA/OHRP regulations, Belmont Report principles, ICH GCP, and NIH Guidelines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sabai IRB Services Institutional Review Board (IRB) review services that protect the rights, safety, and welfare of human research participants. Includes initial review, continuing review, amendments, safety reporting, exempt determinations, single patient expanded access/compassionate use, and informed consent form pre-review and development, covering multi-site and single-site pharma, device, biotech, social-behavioral, natural history, registry, and investigator-initiated studies.
• Sabai IBC Services Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) review services for biosafety compliance in research involving recombinant DNA, infectious agents, and other biohazardous materials. Supports combined IRB/IBC review workflows for sponsors and sites.
• MySabai IRB Portal Web-based portal for submitting IRB forms, tracking study and site submissions through the IRB review process, retrieving approval letters, and managing study documents. Provides 24/7 document access, electronic signatures compliant with FDA 21 CFR Part 11, and a copy feature for quicker resubmissions.
• MySabai IBC Portal Web-based portal for submitting IBC forms, retrieving approval letters and study documents, and submitting modifications and reportable events on existing IBC studies.
• Translation Services Translation of informed consent forms and research materials into multiple languages including Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, French, Greek, Korean, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Haitian Creole, Hungarian, Russian, and Polish.

Quantifiable outcome

• Accelerated timelines and exceeded sponsor projections

Named customers5 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SMART IRB Reliance InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSabai IRB is part of the SMART IRB reliance initiative, allowing institutions to use Sabai IRB for single-site review when relying on a central IRB for multi-site studies. The company offers SMART IRB Letter of Acknowledgement and a Sabai IRB template reliance agreement, or can review institution-specific agreements.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sterling IRB: Sterling IRB is an AAHRPP-accredited central IRB providing review services for sponsors, CROs, and research institutions. Directly comparable to Sabai in core IRB services for clinical trials.
• Quorum Review IRB (now part of Advarra): Quorum was an independent central IRB focused on multi-site studies across pharma and biotech; its offering overlaps directly with Sabai's IRB services for human subjects research.
• IntegReview IRB: IntegReview is an AAHRPP-accredited independent IRB serving pharmaceutical, biotech, and academic research. Comparable central IRB service offering, accreditation profile, and target customers.
• BioMedical Research Alliance of New York (BRANY) IRB: BRANY provides AAHRPP-accredited IRB services with SMART IRB reliance, targeting academic centers and sponsors. Closely comparable operating model and accreditation profile to Sabai.
• BRANY (Biomedical Research Alliance of New York): BRANY operates an AAHRPP-accredited IRB serving academic medical centers and sponsors, with SMART IRB reliance participation. A direct peer to Sabai in central IRB services for multi-site clinical research.
• Chesapeake IRB (now Advarra): Chesapeake IRB historically operated as an independent central IRB for multi-site clinical research — comparable to Sabai in scope, target customer (sponsors/CROs), and review model.

Broad incumbents

• Advarra: Advarra provides central IRB, IBC, biosafety, and research compliance services to sponsors, CROs, and academic institutions. Directly comparable central IRB and IBC provider with established AAHRPP accreditation and enterprise reach.
• WIRB-Copernicus Group (WCG): WCG is the largest independent central IRB in the U.S., offering IRB, IBC, and broader clinical services. Directly comparable to Sabai in core IRB/IBC review, but operates at materially larger scale with a broader portfolio.

Others

• CITI Program (Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative): CITI Program provides human-subjects research protection training that Sabai integrates and promotes to its investigators. It is an adjacent ecosystem partner — not a competitor — but is materially related to the IRB workflow Sabai supports.

Emerging players

• Biomedical Research Institute of New Mexico (BRINM): BRINM is a smaller central IRB providing human subjects research review for sponsors and institutions. Comparable niche IRB services, smaller scale than Sabai.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SabaiGlobal/videos
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sabaiglobal

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Alpha Independent Review Board