Case Study: IQVIA achieves warp‑speed COVID‑19 vaccine site activation with Advarra's integrated IRB/IBC

World’s Largest CRO Leverages Partnership With Integrated Central IBC to Initiate Sites in COVID-19 Vaccine Research at Warp Speed

IQVIA, the world's largest CRO, faced the urgent challenge of launching COVID‑19 vaccine trials that used genetically engineered compounds and therefore required both IRB and IBC review. To meet Operation Warp Speed timelines without compromising safety or quality, IQVIA needed an IRB/IBC partner that could accelerate reviews, educate new sites on biosafety SOPs, and tightly coordinate site activation. They partnered with Advarra and its integrated IRB and IBC review services.

Advarra delivered a coordinated solution—providing integrated IRB/IBC review, its Gene Therapy Ready™ site network, and CIRBI pre‑submission tools with a dedicated client success partner to track turnaround. The results were dramatic: median 7 days from approval to SIV/patient enrolled, average IBC turnaround of 1.8 days, sites averaging 78% faster approvals and 71% faster “ready to enroll” versus non‑COVID studies, with many sites able to enroll patients the same day as SIV; Advarra supported 100% of the Operation Warp Speed vaccine trials.

IQVIA

Rick Fisher

Global Head of Site Activation Manager