Case Study: Meridian Clinical Research achieves rapid 4-day IBC approvals and streamlined gene therapy trial startup with Advarra IBC services

Meridian Builds Robust Gene Therapy Research Program Leveraging Advarra IBC Services

Meridian Clinical Research, a multi‑site organization specializing in high‑volume vaccine trials, needed to launch a gene therapy research program and ensure consistent IBC oversight and compliance across eight sites. To meet that challenge, Meridian partnered with Advarra and used Advarra’s Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) services and central IRB to train staff, harmonize workflows, and manage IBC submissions for genetically engineered vaccine studies.

Advarra assigned a single point of contact and biosafety expertise, helped Meridian create harmonized SOPs, and guided step‑by‑step submissions; as a result, IBC approval turnaround averaged four business days, Meridian’s eight sites were among the first fifteen (of nearly 100) to gain IBC approval for a large Phase III COVID‑19 vaccine study under Operation Warp Speed, and Meridian now uses an SOP template that enables rapid, low‑effort IBC submissions.

Meridian Clinical Research

Brett Percival

Coordinator, Regulatory Affairs