What is a medical device CRO?
A medical device CRO is a contract research organization that plans, runs and reports the clinical investigations a manufacturer needs to CE mark a device and keep it compliant. It works under EU MDR 2017/745 and ISO 14155 rather than the pharma ICH-GCP framework, and covers the full lifecycle: clinical strategy, study design, ethics and competent authority submissions, site selection, recruitment, monitoring, data management, medical writing (CER and clinical investigation report) and post-market clinical follow-up.
What does a medical device CRO do?
It turns a device manufacturer's clinical intent into regulator-ready evidence. In practice that means designing the clinical evidence strategy, writing protocols and the clinical evaluation report, securing ethics and competent authority approvals, selecting and monitoring investigation sites, managing clinical data on a validated EDC, and running proactive PMCF so the evidence keeps supporting the CE certificate over the life of the device.
How do I choose a medical device CRO?
Qualify on device-specific capability, not headcount. Ask whether the CRO works natively to ISO 14155 and EU MDR rather than a pharma template, whether it has handled your device class and therapeutic area, whether clinical operations, medical writing and data management are in-house or subcontracted, whether it understands Notified Body expectations, and whether it can run registry-based PMCF. Eclevar meets all five, with former TÜV SÜD reviewers on the team.
How much does a medical device CRO cost?
Cost depends on device class, study design, the number of sites and countries, endpoint complexity and the length of post-market follow-up: a single-country PMCF survey sits at one end, a multi-country Class III pre-market investigation at the other. Eclevar scopes each program to the minimum defensible evidence a Notified Body will accept, so budget is driven by regulatory need rather than a fixed catalog. We provide a transparent, itemised proposal after a short scoping call.
Medical device CRO vs pharma CRO: what is the difference?
A pharma CRO defaults to ICH-GCP and models built for drugs, and typically treats post-market work as passive Phase IV surveillance. A specialist medical device CRO works to ISO 14155, maps endpoints to the General Safety and Performance Requirements, handles operator-dependent variables and device learning curves, and runs proactive registry-based PMCF under Annex XIV. Running a device program on a pharma template is a program built to struggle at Notified Body review.
What is ISO 14155 and how does Eclevar ensure compliance?
ISO 14155 is the international standard for the good clinical practice of clinical investigations of medical devices in human subjects, and it is the reference EU MDR expects device trials to follow. Eclevar designs every protocol, monitoring plan and data flow to ISO 14155 from version 1, with in-house CRAs, ISO 13485 certified quality processes and trial master file completeness structured for inspection readiness.
What are the clinical requirements of EU MDR 2017/745?
EU MDR 2017/745 requires manufacturers to demonstrate conformity with the General Safety and Performance Requirements through sufficient clinical evidence, documented in a clinical evaluation report under MDCG 2020-6, and to maintain that evidence through a post-market clinical follow-up plan under Annex XIV Part B and MDCG 2020-7. Higher-risk and implantable devices also need a Summary of Safety and Clinical Performance. Eclevar builds all of these as one connected evidence system.
Which therapeutic areas and device classes does Eclevar cover?
Eclevar runs dedicated specialist practices in cardiovascular and structural heart, orthopedics and spine, neuromodulation and neuro-implants, vascular and interventional devices, and advanced wound care, regenerative and aesthetic devices. We focus on higher-risk Class IIb and Class III devices, including active implantables, where Notified Body scrutiny and PMCF requirements are most demanding.
Does Eclevar deliver in-house or through subcontractors?
Clinical operations, medical writing and clinical data management are 100% in-house, giving one point of accountability and no handoff fragmentation, with in-house CRAs across seven countries rather than a network of subcontractors. Data is captured on MILO Studio, our EU MDR native platform recognized with the Platinum Award at the xShare and EUCROF 2026 Open Call.