Born out of the need to address inefficiencies in managing clinical trials, Strategikon Pharma is a revolutionary venture. Anca Copaescu revolutionized clinical trials by equipping Strategikon Pharma with advanced capabilities that optimize clinical business operations for the better. As Strategikon Pharma is awarded the title of “Innovators of the Year 2024,” we have had a chance to interact with Anca as she takes us through the journey of the company.
Congratulations on being named Innovator of the Year! What does this recognition mean to you personally and to Strategikon Pharma as a whole?
Thank you so much! Being named Innovator of the Year is a tremendous honor and a reflection of the hard work and dedication of the entire Strategikon team. Personally, it reaffirms my belief in the power of innovation to transform industries, especially in a complex field like clinical trials. For Strategikon, this recognition highlights our commitment to pushing boundaries and creating solutions, like Clinical Maestro® and VISION, that truly address the critical needs of our customers. It’s a proud moment for us as we continue to lead the way in optimizing clinical business operations and enabling our partners to achieve better outcomes more efficiently. This award motivates us to keep striving for excellence and driving change in the industry.
What inspired you to start Strategikon, and how has that vision evolved over the years?
The inspiration to start Strategikon came from my years of firsthand experience in clinical outsourcing and vendor management, where I saw persistent challenges companies faced in managing complex trials efficiently. I noticed a glaring need for tools that could streamline budgeting, vendor management, and proposal generation, and I felt compelled to address these inefficiencies. That’s where the idea for Strategikon began.
Over the years, my vision has evolved as we’ve listened to our clients and adapted to the changing landscape of clinical business operations. Initially, it was about solving immediate pain points in budgeting, sourcing, and vendor management. Now, it’s about driving a much broader transformation—leveraging data, automation, and innovation to redefine how clinical trials are executed. Our mission is to provide cutting-edge solutions that not only optimize internal processes but also empower our clients to thrive in a highly competitive and regulated environment.
Could you give a brief overview of the company and its primary focus in the industry? Could you perhaps elaborate on the services that your company offers?
Strategikon’s flagship product, Clinical Maestro, is composed of PORTFOLIO, SOURCE, and LEAD. Along with additional applications like VISION for vendor management and CORE for pharmaceutical service providers, we offer a comprehensive end-to-end solution for the evolving needs of the pharmaceutical industry. Each module contributes to enhanced operational efficiency, accuracy, and collaboration, supported by our service team of professionals with over 15 years of experience in outsourcing, proposal management, clinical finance, and operations.
PORTFOLIO allows clinical operations teams to design study budgets and operational plans with ease, eliminating the need for advanced financial modeling expertise. Its sophisticated capabilities support dynamic clinical execution scenarios, and it is backed by the industry’s largest standardized proposal database for over 95% accurate clinical study plans and budgets.
SOURCE modernizes R&D outsourcing management by replacing outdated tools with centralized procurement solutions, featuring AI-enabled bid grid mapping and side-by-side proposal comparisons to ensure transparency and cost savings.
LEAD facilitates data-driven decision-making by enabling Sponsors to track completed, forecasted, and out-of-scope activities throughout the clinical trial execution.
VISION provides unparalleled vendor governance, offering visibility into contracts, governance, qualification status, and performance, eliminating over 90% of manual tasks and delivering significant cost savings.
CORE is the only SaaS solution specifically tailored for clinical trial costing. CORE accelerates budget creation with automated workflows and intuitive interfaces, enabling CROs and service providers to generate complex budgets up to 10 times faster, significantly improving response times for RFPs.
What challenges have you faced in driving innovation within the pharmaceutical sector, and how have you addressed them?
Many clinical trial business processes still rely heavily on outdated tools like Excel. In the post-COVID landscape, with widespread job cuts and inflationary pressures, the current model is unsustainable. Organizations are being challenged to “do more with less,” requiring greater efficiency in managing talent, resources, and budgets. Disruption is essential for the scalability and sustainability of core business processes. Strategikon is leading the charge in transforming clinical trial business operations, helping manage over $60B in annual development spend. By upgrading to more efficient technology like Strategikon’s solutions, organizations can unlock cost savings, enabling more trials and better patient outcomes. This mission drives us to continuously improve our products and support our customers every day.
What are Strategikon Pharma’s key value propositions for gaining a competitive edge, and how do you ensure that your innovations stay focused on improving clinical trial efficiency and speed?
Our key value proposition is that our applications foster collaboration by eliminating version control issues and manual errors while optimizing processes and reducing costs. The platform’s configurable workflows, intuitive dashboards, and robust benchmarking data enable more accurate budgeting and enhanced team communication, helping prevent the 20-25% budget overruns commonly seen in clinical trials.
At Strategikon, our innovation is focused on improving clinical trial operational efficiency. Clinical Maestro delivers a proven ROI on licensing investment of >x25, making it the clear choice for CFOs and Heads of Operations. This powerful combination of efficiency and financial impact ensures that Clinical Maestro streamlines operations and also drives significant business value. This contrasts with our biggest competitor in clinical operational management: Excel.
Strategikon guides clients through change management, addressing user resistance by offering extensive support and workshops. Our “discovery journey” approach ensures customers transition smoothly, co-owning the solution and driving its adoption.
How has Strategikon adapted to the rapidly changing landscape of the pharmaceutical industry, especially during recent global events?
Recent global events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and global inflationary pressures, have emphasized the need for efficiency, adaptability, and cost control in clinical trials. In response, we have enhanced our platform with new features, artificial intelligence, and machine learning that streamline processes, reduce manual errors, and provide real-time data visibility—capabilities that have become critical in a more remote and fast-paced working environment.
By partnering with leading consulting companies and leveraging our team’s deep industry knowledge, we help customers implement and adopt our solutions more efficiently, with fewer resources. Through customer collaboration and a commitment to continuous improvement, Strategikon has remained resilient and positioned itself to thrive in this new landscape, helping our clients achieve better outcomes in an increasingly complex environment.
What leadership qualities do you consider essential for fostering innovation in the pharmaceutical industry?
As a leader, I believe fostering innovation in the pharmaceutical industry requires a combination of passion, vision, and commitment. For me, it’s about encouraging my team to think outside the box and consistently challenge the status quo. I strive to create an environment where new ideas are not only welcomed but actively pursued. My passion for efficiency and innovation drives me to work tirelessly, and I lead by example, setting a high standard for dedication and excellence. By promoting a culture of continuous improvement, I believe we can push boundaries and drive meaningful change within the industry.
What future plans do you have for your company?
We are partnering with leading and specialized consulting companies to support the successful implementation and adoption of our tools, to deliver a comprehensive solution, not just software. As for what’s next, we have many exciting developments ahead. Last year, we received over 400 user-driven ideas, leading to four major releases in 2024, including breakthrough innovations like bid-grid mapping and automatic statement of work generation. In 2025, we will be launching the industry’s first vendor performance management solution with comprehensive KPI management, along with further embedding Artificial Intelligence across our entire product suite. The future is bright for our customers and company, as we drive forward with industry-leading innovations!
Do you have any piece of advice for future innovators and entrepreneurs? How can they adopt innovation to achieve excellence?
My advice for future innovators and entrepreneurs is to stay deeply connected to the needs of your customers and industry. Innovation isn’t just about creating something new—it’s about solving real problems and adding value. At Strategikon, we’ve always taken a customer-led approach, gathering feedback and ideas directly from our users, which has driven some of our most impactful innovations.
It’s also crucial to remain adaptable and open to change. Finally, fostering a culture of collaboration and “thinking outside the box” within your team is key. Excellence comes from a commitment to hard work, creativity, and constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
