BrevisRefero has launched a Request For Proposal (RFP) platform aimed at helping biopharma better select its third-party manufacturing partners.

The pharma world has for years relied on outsourcing partners. Contract research organizations (CROs) are used to carry out clinical trials, third parties manage transport and logistics, and of course contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) support production of nearly every component of the drug production process.

Now the biopharma space can outsource the outsourcing process itself, through an online RFP platform launched by BrevisRefero Corporation aimed at connecting end user ‘innovators’ with a database of CDMO ‘facilitators.’

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The tech aims at enabling normalized data comparisons and works by the innovator inputting its needs into the online platform. This is then presented to CDMOs, which can respond using specifically designed proposal templates.

“Every CDMO has different preferred formats for their proposals so [standardized templates] help make the transfer into the system easier,” BrevisRefero spokesperson Kevin McCarthy told us.

“Then the innovator can look at things like individual project scope pricing, timelines, terms across all of the proposals from the CDMOs. Normally you would receive proposals in many different formats and breakdowns and then as sponsor or consultant you’d have to try to normalize the data so you could make some reasonable comparisons of the proposals. The platform structure makes this much easier to determine fit for their project.”

The platform is the brainchild of company president Terry Cochrane, who has worked in the outsourced biologics space for over 20 years.

“He felt there was a need for something like this and he developed the concept and details and then found developers to build it custom for this application,” said McCarthy.

“Terry and his small but growing team are biologics professionals first that know the platform system. But first and foremost they are biologics technical experts that have worked through RFPs, managing manufacturing and development projects with Innovators and CDMOs from a technical perspective for many years.”

BrevisRefero’s business model is based on flat fees paid by innovators to post their RFP on the system, and fees paid by CDMOs is they are one of up to three service providers shortlisted for the project.

“If they proceed to sign an award contract with a Service Provider, then the Provider pays a success fee. So all companies can register and use the system for free and the fees are applied only upon those success milestones.”

The first RFP went through the system recently, and according to McCarthy the firm had “really good feedback from both the innovator and the CDMOs.”