Who is Pivotal?
The history of our clinical research organization
Pivotal was born in 2001 surrounded by an environment of high scientific tenure and drive. Our founder, Dr. Ibrahim Farr, launched Pivotal to share and implement scientific strategies and best project practices that make clinical trials more efficient and maximize our client’s drug development program’s.
We are a company with as many as 200 employees and operating in more than 22 countries we have built focused specialization across all therapeutic areas and founded a strong oncology, innovative therapies and early phases hub that enable us to tackle our customers’ most difficult challenges. After 20 years of hands-on experience, we master clinical research.
Pivotal has heavily invested in becoming a data- driven CRO that prioritizes mobility. We dive deep into clinical trials by leveraging our near real-time advance analytics and visualization platform. We discover data-driven insights to anticipate trial risks and predict their impact. We are a technology-savvy organization. This has made us an efficient, agile and resilient company that is very focused on our customers.
Our approach to clinical research can be summarized in our Innovative Organizational Model: connected with the clinical research and technology ecosystem, data-driven, agile and customer-centric.
Pivotal Foundation
Pivotal was founded by Dr. Farr
Cross-border trials
Launched the Pivotal´s Partnership Model globally
Pharmacovigilance services
Launched global PVG services
EU Footprint
Started operations in Portugal, Italy, France, Germany and UK
West EU & Central EE Consolidation
Rolled out presence and operations in 7 additional EU countries and covered almost 22 EU countries
Danah
Created Danah, our eTMF, CTMS and analytics platform
Patient Journey Services
Acquired Akcelis, a patient journey services company
Pivotal has as many as 200 professionals, (>92% are employees).
Pivotal Leadership Team
Dr. Ibrahim Farr is a leading medical entrepreneur with more than 35 years of clinical research experience. He founded Pivotal in 2001 to share and implement scientific strategies and best project practices that make clinical trials more efficient and adaptable to everchanging environments. Dr. Farr holds a Medical Degree from Autónoma University in Madrid and has specialized in Psychiatry at the Maudsley Hospital Institute of Psychiatry in London and is Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians-Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine (UK). Previously, Dr. Farr held senior executive roles at several pharmaceutical companies including Marion Merrell Dow, American Cyanamid (Wyeth Pharmaceuticals), Rhône-Poulenc Rorer and Aventis.
And this all applies to clinical projects from Phase I to Phase IV, to non-interventional studies and in a broad range of therapeutic areas – yet, with a special focus in onco and hemato-oncology, and the treatment of rare diseases and the use of orphan drugs.
Dr. Farr is specialized in Psychiatry and Pharmaceutical Medicine and brings to Pivotal some thirty years of experience in drug development, completed in companies like Cyanamid, Pfizer, Rhone-Poulenc Rorer and Sanofi, always as Head of their respective scientific divisions.
Dr. Lourdes Huarte is an industry leader with over three decades of clinical research experience, she joined Pivotal in 2007. Dr. Lourdes Huarte holds an MPharm and PhD by training from the Complutense University (Madrid). She also obtained an MBA from Nova University in Lisbon. Previously to joining Pivotal, Dr. Lourdes Huarte served as Medical Director and Clinical Research Unit Director at Aventis. She also held other management roles at several Pharma companies. During her several tenures, she has been involved in all clinical trials phases (I to IV) both with IMPs and medical devices, observational studies and in most of the main therapeutic areas (especially in oncology, hemato-oncology, gene therapy, CNS and infectious diseases among others).
Dr. José Javier García is a healthcare and life sciences executive with over three decades of experience, he joined Pivotal in 2003. Dr. José Javier García holds a Medical Degree from Autónoma University in Madrid and obtained an Expert Certification in Statistical Biological Models from Complutense University in Madrid. He serves as Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the school of medicine (Autónoma University in Madrid). Previously, Dr. José Javier García served as Vice-President of the Spanish Association of Biostatisticians (ABCif), founded and was elected as the first President of the Spanish CRO Association (AECIC), and founded and served as a Board Member of the European Federation of CROs (EUCROF).
Lidia Farr is a healthcare and life sciences executive with over a decade of experience, she joined Pivotal in 2009. Lidia brings with her innovative technological solutions that enable to uncover data-driven insights to anticipate trials risks and predicts their impact. She holds a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from ICAI University in Madrid. She completed her last year of engineering studies at ENSTA University in Paris. Previously, she worked at J.P. Morgan in the Merger and Acquisitions department both within the Healthcare team in London and the Iberian team in Madrid.
Dr. Ernesto Estefanía is a healthcare and life sciences executive with over two decades of experience and joined Pivotal in 2008. Dr. Ernesto Estefanía holds a Medical Degree from Complutense University in Madrid and specialized as Clinical Immunologist at Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro in Madrid. Previously to joining Pivotal, he worked in the Immunology Department of Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, where he developed an intensive activity in basic and translational research projects, covering different immunology fields, but mainly focusing on transplant-related areas. Some of those research works were presented at national and international congresses and are published in high-impact international journals.
Dr. Ibrahim Farr is a leading medical entrepreneur with more than 35 years of clinical research experience. He founded Pivotal in 2001 to share and implement scientific strategies and best project practices that make clinical trials more efficient and adaptable to everchanging environments. Dr. Farr holds a Medical Degree from Autónoma University in Madrid and has specialized in Psychiatry at the Maudsley Hospital Institute of Psychiatry in London and is Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians-Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine (UK). Previously, Dr. Farr held senior executive roles at several pharmaceutical companies including Marion Merrell Dow, American Cyanamid (Wyeth Pharmaceuticals), Rhône-Poulenc Rorer and Aventis.
And this all applies to clinical projects from Phase I to Phase IV, to non-interventional studies and in a broad range of therapeutic areas – yet, with a special focus in onco and hemato-oncology, and the treatment of rare diseases and the use of orphan drugs.
Dr. Farr is specialized in Psychiatry and Pharmaceutical Medicine and brings to Pivotal some thirty years of experience in drug development, completed in companies like Cyanamid, Pfizer, Rhone-Poulenc Rorer and Sanofi, always as Head of their respective scientific divisions.
Dr. Lourdes Huarte is an industry leader with over three decades of clinical research experience, she joined Pivotal in 2007. Dr. Lourdes Huarte holds an MPharm and PhD by training from the Complutense University (Madrid). She also obtained an MBA from Nova University in Lisbon. Previously to joining Pivotal, Dr. Lourdes Huarte served as Medical Director and Clinical Research Unit Director at Aventis. She also held other management roles at several Pharma companies. During her several tenures, she has been involved in all clinical trials phases (I to IV) both with IMPs and medical devices, observational studies and in most of the main therapeutic areas (especially in oncology, hemato-oncology, gene therapy, CNS and infectious diseases among others).
Dr. José Javier García is a healthcare and life sciences executive with over three decades of experience, he joined Pivotal in 2003. Dr. José Javier García holds a Medical Degree from Autónoma University in Madrid and obtained an Expert Certification in Statistical Biological Models from Complutense University in Madrid. He serves as Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the school of medicine (Autónoma University in Madrid). Previously, Dr. José Javier García served as Vice-President of the Spanish Association of Biostatisticians (ABCif), founded and was elected as the first President of the Spanish CRO Association (AECIC), and founded and served as a Board Member of the European Federation of CROs (EUCROF).
Lidia Farr is a healthcare and life sciences executive with over a decade of experience, she joined Pivotal in 2009. Lidia brings with her innovative technological solutions that enable to uncover data-driven insights to anticipate trials risks and predicts their impact. She holds a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from ICAI University in Madrid. She completed her last year of engineering studies at ENSTA University in Paris. Previously, she worked at J.P. Morgan in the Merger and Acquisitions department both within the Healthcare team in London and the Iberian team in Madrid.
Dr. Ernesto Estefanía is a healthcare and life sciences executive with over two decades of experience and joined Pivotal in 2008. Dr. Ernesto Estefanía holds a Medical Degree from Complutense University in Madrid and specialized as Clinical Immunologist at Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro in Madrid. Previously to joining Pivotal, he worked in the Immunology Department of Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, where he developed an intensive activity in basic and translational research projects, covering different immunology fields, but mainly focusing on transplant-related areas. Some of those research works were presented at national and international congresses and are published in high-impact international journals.
Pivotal Culture
Chief Executive Officer
At Pivotal, our purpose is building a better clinical research world. The insights and quality services we provide help build trust and confidence in the clinical research industry.
At Pivotal, our purpose is also building a great firm that attracts, develops, excites and retains exception people. Everyone in the company is responsible for creating leaders around us, for leveraging diversity as an asset.
By doing so, we play a critical role in building a better clinical research world for our people, for our clients and for the patients.
We have built a real value driven organization. Our values act as our ‘North Star’ guiding our people in all our work, from our recruiting interview to our team evaluations, to how we interact with our clients.
We generate trust and closeness. Trust is the single most important ingredient we put in all clinical trials. We deliver transparently as agreed.
We make decisions based on data. We prioritize work based on the impact on our client’s performance indicators. We are predictive, proactive and not reactive.
We strive for quality in everything we deliver, we prioritize clinical quality by design and risk management.
We like to share our knowledge with the clinical research community. We know that as a team, the whole is more than the sum of its parts.
We bring people together with the same values. We are inspired by the lives of our patients. We have integrity in all our actions.
Pivotal Locations
Herlev Hovedgade 195A
2730 Herlev – Copenhagen
Denmark
Börsenstrasse 15
60313 Frankfurt
Germany
1014 BB Amsterdam
The Netherlands
1000 Brussels
Belgium
Váci út, 33B
1134 Budapest
Hungary
ul. Grzybowska 5A
00-132 Warsaw
Poland
Box 5814
102 48 Stockholm
Sweden
Via Curtatone, 3
00185 Rome
Italy
Rue Jean Jacques Rousseau, 23-25
75001 Paris
France
Gray’s Inn Road, 253
WC1X 8QT London
United Kingdom
Calle París, 45-47, entresuelo, 3ª
08029 Barcelona
Spain
Calle Gobelas 19, La Florida
28023 Madrid – Spain
Tel: + 34917081250
Fax: + 34917081301
Rua Prof. J. Mineiro, 16-1A
2730-146 Lisbon
Portugal
21 Ivan Petrovici Pavlov Street
Ground floor, Room 2, 1st District
Bucharest
Romania
71 Lower Baggot Street
Ground floor, Dublin 2, D02 P593
Ireland
Malešická 2855/2b, Žižkov, 130 00
Prague 3
Czechia
Keren Hayesod 38-1
9214915 Jerusalem
Israel
18 College Street
11181 Amman
Jordan
Pivotal Global Partners
Since our foundation, we have worked on building the best partnerships. We have a consolidated ecosystem of outstanding partners that allows us to conduct trials at a global scale. Since trust is such an important intangible factor in a partnership, we have developed The Pivotal Partnership Model that contains the essence of how we work. Everything from dealing with client relation to executing global clinical trials, training our team and streamlining communications is defined.
Pivotal shared values:
- Care: We bring people together with the same values, we know that as a team, the whole is more than the sum of its parts. We like to share our knowledge with our partners.
- Trust: We generate trust and closeness, we meet regularly with our partners’ executive level team to align our approaches, to detect, anticipate and remove any impediment facing the trial. We also take care of the formal aspects of relationship with the partner (MSA and WO).
- Unite: We assign one project´s leader to act as the single point of contact with the client and translates their needs and priorities into actions.
- Meticulous: We perform regular cross-partners audits. We train and certify all our teams on a single set of SOPs and Operational Plans to ensure that, no matter where we deliver, we always meet the highest standards of homogeneity.
- Impact: We ask our partner for the same therapeutic focus and regional expertise.