California Research Foundation

What California Research Foundation does

California Research Foundation (CRF) is a privately held, family-owned clinical research facility headquartered in San Diego, California, founded in 1966 by Milan L. Brandon, M.D. and currently led by Principal Investigator Donald M. Brandon, M.D. The company operates as a multi-specialty group of board-certified internal medicine physicians supported by full-time clinical research staff with an average tenure exceeding 20 years. Its single San Diego site at 9444 Farnham Street conducts FDA-sanctioned clinical investigative studies spanning Phases I through IV, with a primary focus on vaccine trials and a broader remit across internal medicine disciplines including arthritis, diabetes, hypertension, and osteoporosis. CRF has completed more than 600 clinical protocols with per-study enrollment reaching up to 1,000 participants, and was designated a 'super site' by Pfizer and recognized among the top three global sites for the landmark COVID-19 vaccine protocol — the first COVID-19 vaccine approved for emergency use in the United States.

The company monetizes through professional services revenue derived from protocol execution, data collection, and participant enrollment on behalf of pharmaceutical sponsors and contract research organizations (CROs). Participants are compensated on a unit-pricing basis, typically $50–$150 per study visit with smaller amounts (commonly $5 per week) for electronic diary completion, while sponsor-side economics follow standard per-protocol site fee structures. Go-to-market combines enterprise-style direct engagement with pharmaceutical sponsors and CROs for clinical trial partnerships, with community-led participant recruitment in the San Diego catchment area driven by digital and traditional campaigns plus a formalized study ambassador / Refer-a-Friend Program.

The product surface centers on Clinical Research Services, a dedicated Vaccine Research Unit (covering influenza, pneumonia, RSV, and COVID-19), Participant Enrollment Services, and Sponsor/CRO Collaboration Services. Supporting offerings include a Wellness Protocol for active participants and the Refer-a-Friend Program. The underlying operating model relies on FDA-regulated protocol execution, pristine data collection standards, and a community-rooted recruitment base rather than proprietary technology, AI/ML tooling, or a multi-site network — leaving the business fundamentally a high-credibility, single-site clinical research operator with marquee sponsor validation but limited geographic or technological diversification.

Name

California Research Foundation

Legal name

California Research Foundation

Website

https://crftrials.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

California Research Foundation is a family-owned, FDA-sanctioned clinical research facility in San Diego that has completed over 600 Phase I–IV studies for pharmaceutical sponsors and CROs since 1966, with a primary focus on vaccine trials and internal medicine, and up to 1,000 participants enrolled per protocol.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Clinical Research Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093)

akta.pro primary industry

Clinical Trial Site Operations & Study Coordination (HLAGACAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Vaccine Clinical Development & Regulatory Affairs (HLAIAEAM)

Keywords

• Clinical research services
• Vaccine clinical trials
• Pharmaceutical research sites
• Clinical trial enrollment
• Internal medicine studies

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego, California

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, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Clinical Trial Services: Conducting clinical research studies for pharmaceutical sponsors and CROs across all phases (I-IV), with primary focus on vaccine trials and internal medicine disciplines. Revenue derived from protocol execution, data collection, and participant enrollment services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

California Research Foundation operates a clinical research facility that conducts FDA-sanctioned clinical investigative studies covering Phases I through IV across Internal Medicine disciplines, with a primary focus on vaccine trials. The organization partners with pharmaceutical sponsors and CROs to execute protocols, enroll participants (up to 1,000 per protocol), and deliver quality data with minimal queries. The facility has completed over 600 studies and was designated a 'super site' by Pfizer for its COVID-19 vaccine trial work.

Product overview

California Research Foundation operates as a clinical research facility offering a unified suite of services centered on conducting FDA-sanctioned clinical trials. The core offering consists of clinical research services spanning phases I-IV across Internal Medicine disciplines, with a dedicated Vaccine Research Unit as a primary focus area. Supporting services include participant enrollment with both digital and traditional recruitment campaigns, sponsor/CRO collaboration for pharmaceutical partners, plus wellness protocol and refer-a-friend programs. The organization is recognized as a 'super site' by Pfizer for COVID-19 vaccine trial performance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Clinical Research Services FDA-sanctioned clinical investigative studies covering Phases I through IV across all areas of Internal Medicine, with primary focus on vaccine trials. Enrolls up to 1,000 participants per protocol and has completed over 600 studies for pharmaceutical sponsors and CROs.
• Vaccine Research Unit

Quantifiable outcome

• Rapid enrollment during COVID-19 pandemic with quality data collection
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

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

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Pfizer, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPfizer partnered with California Research Foundation for landmark COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials. CRF was recognized as a 'super site' and ranked top 3 globally for Pfizer's landmark COVID-19 vaccine protocol - the first COVID-19 vaccine approved for emergency use in the US and first FDA approved COVID-19 vaccine.
• Pharmaceutical SponsorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalifornia Research Foundation works with pharmaceutical companies (sponsors) to conduct clinical trials, collecting data in adherence to study protocols while maintaining patient safety and well-being.
• Clinical Research Organizations (CROs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCRF partners with CROs for protocol execution, considered as colleagues during every protocol. Committed to strong collaboration to meet partner needs and achieve successful study outcomes.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• IQVIA: Global CRO and clinical research services leader with site management and investigator site network capabilities. Broader incumbent that engages CRF-type sites as partners or competes via owned sites.
• ICON plc: Large global CRO with site activation and dedicated site network divisions. Comparable in serving pharmaceutical sponsors for clinical trial execution, though at much larger scale.
• Medpace: Mid-to-large CRO with strong therapeutic-area expertise and site management capabilities. Comparable to CRF as a sponsor-facing clinical research services provider, though at much larger scale.
• Labcorp Drug Development (formerly Covance): Major CRO with central laboratory and clinical trial services that interfaces with independent sites like CRF. Comparable as a sponsor-facing clinical research services provider.

Direct peers

• DM Clinical Research: Multi-site clinical research organization with significant vaccine and Phase I-IV trial experience. Comparable to CRF as a site-based clinical trial services provider.
• Benchmark Research: Independent clinical research site network with strong vaccine trial experience and community-based recruitment. Comparable to CRF's model of dedicated vaccine and internal medicine studies.
• Accel Research Sites: Multi-therapeutic clinical research site network operating across multiple U.S. geographies. Directly competes with CRF for sponsor studies and phase I-IV protocols.
• Velocity Clinical Research: Multi-site clinical research site network focused on rapid enrollment and quality data across Phases I-IV. Comparable to CRF as a site operator competing for the same sponsor protocols and vaccine trials.
• Flourish Research: Recently formed multi-site clinical research platform aggregating community-based sites. Comparable to CRF in targeting community-based participant recruitment and multi-therapeutic trials.
• Headlands Research (formerly Clinvest): Network of clinical research sites specializing in vaccine, internal medicine, and therapeutic-area trials with strong community recruitment. Directly comparable to CRF in site-based clinical trial services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/california-research-foundation

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 California Research Foundation