Synteract Adds to Leadership Team with Rare and Orphan Disease Experts Lisa Dilworth and Elisabeth Schrader

Synteract, an innovative contract research organization (CRO) enabling biopharma companies to bring new medicines to market, has added two experienced members to enhance its Rare and Orphan Diseases Center of Development. Lisa Dilworth joins as vice president, rare and orphan diseases, and Elisabeth Schrader as executive director, program strategy, pediatrics and rare diseases.

Synteract has a long history of providing rare and orphan clinical trial expertise, across all phases of drug development, with more than 136 trials performed in the last five years across 50+ indications. It specializes in studies for diseases that affect a small portion of the population, where it applies its considerable operational acumen to studies that have never been done before.

“Studies for diseases that affect a small portion of the population have been a mainstay of Synteract’s for many years. With extensive and varied backgrounds in rare and orphan drug development, Lisa and Elisabeth are excellent additions to our development center,” said Steve Powell, CEO of Synteract. “Trials in this rapidly developing area come with their own unique set of challenges, particularly in components like recruitment and the high variability in global consensus on the standard of care. Our customers will greatly benefit from Lisa’s and Elisabeth’s strategic knowledge, delivery expertise, and long-standing relationships with sites and advocacy groups to address these needs. We are excited to welcome them to the team.”

Lisa Dilworth combines 18 years in study design, eligibility criteria, and overall program strategy with her prior work experience in clinical settings to bring a patient-focused mindset and strong relationships with advocacy groups to the team. She will provide leadership in rare and orphan diseases that span various therapeutic areas and specialties, including neurology, metabolic and endocrine, ophthalmology, oncology, hepatology, and others. Dilworth was previously director of therapeutic expertise, scientific affairs and rare disease at PRA Health Sciences and has held managerial roles at UCB and Chiltern International. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Integrative Biology from University of California, Berkeley and a master’s degree in Clinical Research from University of California, San Diego. She volunteers as a consultant, committee member, and speaker for the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America, Inc., and as consultant, advocate, and content contributor to Project Muscular Dystrophy.

Elisabeth Schrader has 20+ years of clinical research experience working in large, mid-size, and small CROs developing partnerships, delivery models, population and indication-specific operational delivery study strategies and training programs, and relationships with advocacy groups and global site networks. She will work closely with Synteract’s centers of development heads and customers in developing operational strategies for pediatric and rare disease programs as well as providing training and oversight to the project teams focused in these specialized areas of clinical focus. Schrader joins from Syneos where she was executive director, clinical development and a member of the Rare Disease Consortium and on the leadership team of the Pediatric Consortium. Prior to that she was senior customer operations director at IQVIA supporting customers with a rare disease and pediatric focus as well as leader in the Pediatric Center of Excellence. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Health Policy and Administration from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

About Synteract

With 800 staff members across 21 countries, Synteract is an innovative, full-service contract research organization supporting biopharmaceutical companies in all phases of clinical development to help bring new medicines to market. Synteract has conducted nearly 4,000 studies on six continents and in more than 60 countries, working with more than 26,000 investigative sites and nearly 750,000 patients. It has contributed to more than 240 product approvals. The CRO offers a notable depth of expertise in oncology, dermatology, and neuro degenerative indications, as well as rare and orphan, pediatric, and immunotherapy studies. Connect on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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Contact information

for Synteract
Hilary McCarthy, 508-829-2543
hilary@clearpointagency.com