Contract Research Organization (CRO) Services Market by Type (Early Phase, Clinical, Lab, Consulting), Therapeutic Area (Cancer (Breast, Lung), Infectious, Neurology, Vaccines), Modality (Small Molecules, Biologics, Biosimilars) - Global Forecast to 2030

The Contract Research Organization (CRO) services market is expected to reach USD 125.95 billion in 2030 from USD 84.61 billion in 2025, at a CAGR of 8.3% during the forecast period. The key factors contributing to market growth include the expanding pipeline of cell & gene therapies and the growing focus on precision medicine. These factors are expected to fuel sponsors towards CRO partners that can handle complex designs, genomic screening, customizable logistics, and mandatory long-term follow-up capabilities that are challenging to utilize in-house. Precision programs fragment patient cohorts and shorten enrollment windows, making integrated CRO-lab networks and global site coverage decisive for timelines and data quality. As regulators and payers demand robust, real-time evidence, sponsors increasingly depend on CROs that offer clinical operations with advanced lab, data science, and RWE capabilities to de-risk development.

By service type, the early phase development services segment accounted for the largest share of the CRO services market in 2024.

Based on service type, the CRO services market is segmented into clinical research services, early phase development services, laboratory services, consulting services, and data management services. In 2024, the early phase development services segment accounted for the largest share of the market. The current pipeline is focused on developing novel biologics, CGT, and targeted modalities that require specialized toxicology, DMPK, bioanalysis, and safety pharmacology, which several sponsors prefer to outsource to reach the IND (investigational new drug) stage faster.

By end user, the pharmaceutical & biopharmaceutical companies accounted for the largest share in the CRO services market in 2024.

Based on end user, the CRO services market is segmented into pharmaceutical & biopharmaceutical companies, medical device companies, and academic institutes. In 2024, the pharmaceutical & biopharmaceutical companies segment accounted for the largest share of the CRO services market. The large share of this end-user segment can be attributed to the large number of drug pipeline products of pharma and biotech companies. Moreover, CROs deliver speed, scale, and flexible cost bases, attracting end users.

By region, North America accounted for the largest share of the market in 2024.

In 2024, North America held the largest share of the global CRO services market, driven by the presence of well-established pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, which drive significant demand for outsourced research and development services. Additionally, a vast network of clinical sites, hospitals, and specialized facilities, providing an ideal infrastructure for conducting large-scale clinical trials, is present in the region. Additionally, the rapid adoption of digital health solutions and decentralized trial models in the US, a significant contributor to the substantial share of the region, is further boosting CRO demand, as sponsors seek innovative ways to improve patient recruitment and retention.

The primary interviews conducted for this report can be categorized as follows:

• By Respondent: Supply-side- 70% and Demand-side 30%
• By Designation: Managers - 45%, CXOs & Directors - 30%, and Executives - 25%
• By Region: North America - 40%, Europe -25%, Asia Pacific -25%, Latin America -5%, and the Middle East & Africa- 5%

List of Companies Profiled in the Report:
• IQVIA Inc. (US)
• ICON plc (Ireland)
• Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (US)
• Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (LabCorp) (US)
• Fortrea, Inc. (US)
• Syneos Health (US)
• WuXi AppTec (China)
• Charles River Laboratories (US)
• Parexel International Corporation (US)
• Pharmaron (China)
• Medpace (US)
• SGS SA (Switzerland), Frontage Labs (US)
• Eurofins Scientific (Luxembourg)
• BioAgile (India)
• Firma Clinical Research (US)
• Acculab Life Sciences (US)
• Novotech (Australia)
• KCR S.A. (US)
• Linical (Japan)
• Advanced Clinical (US)
• Allucent (US)
• Clinical Trial Service (Netherlands)
• Guires Inc. (Pepgra Healthcare Pvt. Ltd.) (UK)
• Worldwide Clinical Trials (US)
• CTI Clinical Trial And Consulting (US)
Research Coverage

This research report categorizes the CRO services market by service type (clinical research services, early phase development services, laboratory services, consulting services, and data management services), modality (small molecules, biologics, biosimilars, medical devices), end user (pharmaceutical & biopharmaceutical companies, medical device companies, and academic institutes), and regional scope (North America, Europe, the Asia Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa). The report covers detailed information regarding the leading factors, such as drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities, influencing the growth of the CRO services market. A thorough analysis of the key industry players has provided insights into their business overview, services, key strategies, collaborations, partnerships, and agreements. New launches, collaborations, partnerships, and acquisitions are the recent developments associated with the CRO services market.

Key Benefits of Buying the Report

The report will help market leaders/new entrants by providing the closest approximations of the revenue numbers for the overall CRO services market and its subsegments. It will also help stakeholders better understand the competitive landscape and gain more insights to position their business better and make suitable go-to-market strategies. This report will enable stakeholders to understand the market's pulse and provide them with information on the key market drivers, opportunities, and challenges.

The report provides insights into the following pointers:
• Analysis of key drivers (Increasing focus on decentralized trials, rising complexity and volume of trials, service flexibility offered by CROs), opportunities (regulatory focus on patient pool diversity), and challenges (challenges of patient retention and cybersecurity/intellectual property concerns) influencing the growth of the market.
• Service Development/Innovation: Detailed insights on newly launched services of the CRO services market
• Market Development: Comprehensive information about lucrative markets - the report analyzes the market across varied regions.
• Market Diversification: Exhaustive information about new services, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments in the CRO services market
• Competitive Assessment: In-depth assessment of market shares, growth strategies, and service offerings of key players, including IQVIA Inc. (US), ICON Plc (Ireland), Medpace (US), Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (LabCorp) (US), Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (US), and Fortrea, Inc. (US). A detailed analysis of the key industry players has been conducted to provide insights into their key strategies, service launches, acquisitions, partnerships, agreements, collaborations, expansions, other recent developments, investment and funding activities, brand/service comparative analysis, and vendor valuation and financial metrics of the CRO services market.

Show more