WCG Unveils IBC+ to Accelerate Institutional Biosafety Review Processes

PRINCETON, N.J., Feb. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- WCG, a global leader in providing solutions that measurably improve and accelerate clinical research, today unveiled IBC+, an innovative approach to Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) review designed to optimize biosafety oversight and expedite gene transfer studies. This new solution supports WCG's mission to improve lives by accelerating research, together. Complementing the already successful IRB+, IBC+ is designed to further streamline the review process for studies involving genetically engineered products, ensuring faster and more efficient clinical trials.

Traditional IBC processes can be deferentially slow, adding critical delays to clinical trial timelines. WCG's IBC+ addresses this issue head-on by providing a streamlined, expert-driven solution that significantly reduces turnaround times—by up to 50%—without compromising the quality of biosafety evaluations. This means faster site activations and study start-ups, which ultimately brings life-saving treatments to patients sooner.

"IBC+ accelerates biosafety oversight in gene transfer studies," said Sam Srivastava, chief executive officer, WCG. "By combining comprehensive oversight with expert support and efficient processes, we empower research teams to begin their trials faster while maintaining the highest standards of safety and compliance. This is another step forward in our commitment to accelerate clinical trials and deliver essential therapies to market more quickly."

WCG's IBC+ leverages the company's ISO 9001 certified IBC and a dedicated team with more than 200 years of combined experience in gene transfer research. This ensures a high-quality review process that meets stringent biosafety standards, even on an accelerated timeline.

For sponsors and researchers, IBC+ offers several key advantages:

• Accelerated Timelines: Faster regulatory review processes that can reduce site activation and study start-up time by up to 50%, saving months on trial timelines.
• High-Quality Reviews: Streamlined processes that maintain rigorous biosafety compliance, ensuring the integrity and safety of the trials.
• Expert Support: A dedicated biosafety team well-versed in navigating complex regulatory frameworks, providing essential guidance and support throughout the trial process.

Combined with WCG's IRB+, which reduces study timelines by months and lowers overall costs associated with clinical trial delays, IBC+ ensures that sponsors can achieve site activation and study start-up faster for trials involving genetically engineered products. This dual approach provides unparalleled efficiency and a streamlined pathway for both ethical and biosafety reviews.

"Our goal with IBC+ is to optimize the regulatory review process while upholding the highest levels of biosafety and ethics," added Kelly FitzGerald, executive IRB chair and vice president, IBC Affairs. "This is crucial for the success of gene transfer studies and pivotal in advancing medical research efficiently. We've already seen great success in streamlining operations with IRB+, and we're thrilled to bring those efficiencies to IBC as we strive to have the best-run ethical and biosafety review operations in the industry."

For more information on WCG's IBC+ solution, visit www.wcgclinical.com/introducing-ibc-plus/.

About WCG

WCG is a global leader in solutions that measurably improve and accelerate clinical research. Biopharmaceutical and medical device companies, contract research organizations (CROs), research institutions, and sites partner with us for our unmatched expertise, data intelligence, and purpose-built technology to make informed decisions and optimize study outcomes. WCG raises the bar by pioneering new concepts, reimagining processes, fostering compliance and safety, and empowering those who perform clinical trials to accelerate the delivery of medical therapies and devices that improve lives. For more information, please visit wcgclinical.com.

SOURCE WCG