Avoca Quality Consortium Announces 2013 Summit

Eli Lilly & Co. and Pfizer, Inc. Executives to Co-Chair

PRINCETON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Avoca Group, an industry-leading consulting and research organization specializing in clinical outsourcing and alliance management, announced today the Avoca Quality Consortium’s 2013 Summit. Scheduled for May 8^th and 9^th in Princeton, New Jersey, this year’s summit builds upon the Consortium’s successful launch year and the momentum established during last year’s inaugural meeting.

“We are pleased to be a supporting sponsor of this year’s Summit”

Avoca Quality Consortium founding corporate sponsors Eli Lilly & Company and Pfizer, Inc. will continue in that role during 2013. Additionally, Jeff Kasher, Ph.D., Vice President, Clinical Trial: Materials, Implementation, and Transformation, Eli Lilly & Company, and John Hubbard, Ph.D., FCP, Senior Vice President and Worldwide Head Development Operations, Pfizer, Inc. will co-chair this year’s Summit.

“The focus of this year’s Summit is striking the right balance between meeting timelines, ensuring cost containment and achieving the highest level of quality in outsourced clinical trials,” explained Patricia Leuchten, President and CEO of Avoca. “We are pleased to have Jeff Kasher and John Hubbard co-chair this year and help expand on the critically important work the Consortium began last year.“

This year’s Summit will be held at The Westin Princeton at Forrestal Village in Princeton, New Jersey. “We are pleased to be a supporting sponsor of this year’s Summit,” said Stephen Cutler, Group President, ICON Clinical Research Services. “ICON strongly believes in the value of industry standards, practices and metrics that drive better quality and is committed to supporting implementation. We are looking forward to playing an active role in the upcoming discussions.”

Day 1, Wednesday, May 8 is a Consortium members-only strategy session. (Open only to members of The Avoca Quality Consortium.) Day 2, Thursday, May 9 is an industry-wide symposium open to all professionals. Day 2 will include a full day of executive roundtables with interactive audience and small group discussions on key topics including risk assessment and risk management, creating a culture of quality in a changing regulatory environment, and change management strategies for ensuring success.

Global management consultant and author Peter Bregman is this year’s keynote speaker. Mr. Bregman is a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review, Forbes, National Public Radio (NPR), and CNN. He is a weekly commentator on Fox Business News and author of 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done, and Point B: A Short Guide to Leading a Big Change.

About The Avoca Quality Consortium:

Formed in January of 2012 with 30 members, The Avoca Quality Consortium brings together quality, outsourcing and operational professionals from member pharma, biotech, and clinical research organizations (CROs) to accelerate the development of best practices and industry standards for proactive quality management.

To inquire about Avoca Quality Consortium membership, and to register for the 2013 Summit, please contact [e-mail] at [phone], or visit the The Avoca Quality Consortium.