For Research, Preclinical, CMC, and Clinical Development
Clinical-stage biopharma companies operate in one of the most financially complex environments in the world. We bring discipline, data, and negotiation strength to every stage of development — protecting capital runway and strengthening investor confidence.
A dependable partner, embedded in your team
We work directly with your teams across Research, Preclinical, CMC, Clinical Operations, Finance, Legal, and Program Leadership to bring discipline, data, and negotiation strength to every stage of development. Our integrated procurement, contracting, and financial governance support spans early research through Phase 1–3 clinical trials, ensuring your organization has the structure and clarity required for predictable execution.
With deep experience optimizing complex vendor portfolios and building integrated financial models from early research through Phase 3 global trials, we help teams regain control of spend, strengthen financial predictability, and protect capital runway.
Softgravity is founder-led by design. When you engage, you work directly with me — not a rotating account team, not junior analysts billing your project while they learn the industry. That's a deliberate trade-off: fewer simultaneous clients, in exchange for direct, accountable attention on yours.
Where clinical-stage budgets actually leak
Target ranges informed by industry benchmarks (see sources above) and prior in-house procurement experience — not yet independently verified Softgravity case results. Case studies will be published as engagements are completed.
Procurement leadership that works with your team to deliver predictable success
Drawing on extensive experience restructuring cost models, negotiating global vendor portfolios, and building financial governance frameworks, we work side-by-side with your team to safeguard capital, enforce discipline, and ensure operational readiness across all phases of development. We provide end-to-end Contract Strategy for Research, Preclinical, CMC, and Clinical Development — built on five integrated pillars.
Contract Negotiation & Vendor Cost Control
Clinical vendors — CROs, labs, imaging providers, and specialty partners — routinely submit inflated budgets. Without expert challenge, companies overpay by millions. We negotiate aggressively to eliminate inflated assumptions and restore financial discipline.
What We Provide
- Line-item cost validation against industry benchmarks
- Aggressive negotiation of CRO and vendor budgets
- Elimination of inflated FTE assumptions and padded pass-throughs
- Performance-based fee structures tied to deliverables
- Competitive bidding strategies to create pricing tension
- Collaboration to secure favorable, protective contract terms that reduce risk
Target Savings Range
- 12–22% on CRO contracts
- 10–18% on central labs and imaging
- 15–25% on specialty vendors
Contract Strategy & Governance
Most biopharma companies lack a unified contracting strategy — resulting in inconsistent terms, uncontrolled change orders, and misaligned financial commitments. We build governance frameworks that prevent budget erosion across Research, Preclinical, CMC, and Clinical Operations.
What We Establish
- Standardized contract templates with protective language
- Milestone-based payment structures
- Change-order prevention mechanisms
- Clear vendor accountability frameworks
- Cross-functional alignment between Clinical, Finance, and Legal
- Support for disciplined invoice-review and approval processes
Target Impact
- 20–40% fewer change orders
- Faster contracting cycles
- Stronger financial predictability
Investigator Grant Governance
Investigator grants are among the most common sources of uncontrolled overspending in clinical development. We implement FMV-aligned, compliant, and globally consistent investigator payment frameworks for Phase 1–3 trials.
What We Implement
- FMV-aligned global grant frameworks
- Standardized site-level budgeting
- Controls to prevent site-by-site inflation
- Audit-ready documentation for regulators and investors
- Collaborative scenario planning and investigator grant modeling
- Real-time tracking of actual spend against allocated budgets
Target Impact
- 15–25% reduction in grant variance
- Improved compliance and audit readiness
- Protection of capital across hundreds of global sites
Financial Forecasting & Investor-Ready Modeling
Procurement is not just about cost reduction — it is about financial predictability. We build transparent models across CMC, preclinical, and clinical development so leadership and investors have a clear, defensible view of program economics and capital needs.
What We Deliver
- Vendor-aligned financial modeling of cost drivers and risk exposure
- Enrollment-based cost modeling grounded in vendor-validated assumptions
- Integrated Phase 1–3 budget models
- Scenario analysis for delays, dropouts, and protocol amendments
- Cost-to-completion frameworks aligned with fundraising strategy
- Cash-flow forecasting for board and investor presentations
Impact
- Clear cost-to-completion
- Stronger, more credible fundraising narratives
- Early detection of financial and operational risk
Milestone Delivery & Cross-Phase Financial Control
Every phase of development introduces new financial risks. We embed financial governance, vendor oversight, and operational discipline at every stage — from Research and Preclinical through Phase 1, 2, and 3.
Phase 1 — Establishing the Baseline
- Build scalable cost models
- Negotiate early vendor contracts
- Implement foundational financial controls
- Support predictable early-phase execution
Phase 2 — Complexity & Expansion
- Re-bid or renegotiate vendor contracts
- Introduce competitive tension
- Strengthen forecasting accuracy
- Bolster controls on grants and vendor budgets
Phase 3 — High-Stakes Execution
- Manage multi-million-dollar vendor portfolios
- Enforce strict cost governance
- Support investor-facing financial transparency
- Maintain predictability at peak spend
Impact
- Fewer overruns
- Stronger capital efficiency
- Improved milestone delivery
A simple, low-friction way to get started
No lengthy onboarding, no disruption to your team. Here's what a typical engagement looks like from first conversation to embedded partner — including how fees are structured, so there are no surprises.
Discovery Call
A focused 30-minute conversation to understand your current vendor landscape, contracting pain points, and stage of development.
Week 1Contract & Budget Diagnostic
A paid review of a representative sample of your active contracts — typically 5–8, drawn from across your programs or focused on the ones causing the most concern. Delivers a real findings summary: where budgets are exposed and where negotiation leverage exists. Fee is scoped to the number and complexity of contracts reviewed.
Week 2Engagement Proposal & Fee Structure
Using the diagnostic findings, we scope the full engagement to match its complexity and strategic impact — a flat project fee for a defined, one-off scope, an ongoing retainer, or a performance-based structure tied to verified savings. The right structure depends entirely on your situation, and nothing is assumed until it's agreed in writing before further work begins.
Week 3Embedded Partnership & Reporting
We plug directly into your Clinical, Finance, and Legal workflows — negotiating, modeling, and governing alongside your team, with regular cost-to-completion updates and board-ready reporting at every milestone.
OngoingPricing isn't one-size-fits-all — a small contract-sample diagnostic is priced differently than a discrete CRO renegotiation or an embedded, cross-phase retainer. Every fee is discussed openly on the discovery call and confirmed in writing before work begins.
Ready to protect your runway and strengthen investor confidence?
Book a free 30-minute discovery call — no commitment required.
A team-integrated partner for contracting and financial operations
We bring clarity, structure, and disciplined execution to the complex, capital-intensive environments of clinical-stage biopharma — vendor strategy, financial modeling, and operational governance.
Softgravity Consulting & Investments provides clinical-stage biopharma companies with a seamless, team-integrated partner for contracting and financial operations. Acting as an extension of your team, we bring clarity, structure, and disciplined execution to the complex, capital-intensive environments that depend on strong vendor strategy, financial modeling, and operational governance.
Our experience spans high-value negotiations, multi-regional contracting, financial modeling, and grant and vendor management. We help biopharma teams reduce risk, strengthen decision-making, and move forward with alignment and confidence — from early research through global Phase 3 trials.
Wayne Philp
With over a decade of experience in contract strategy, vendor cost control, and financial management, I help organizations build stronger operational and financial foundations. As the CEO/Founder of Softgravity Consulting & Investments, I partner with companies to streamline operations, strengthen R&D and program execution, and bring clarity and discipline to complex, capital-intensive environments.
Before launching Softgravity, I served as Sr. Director of R&D Procurement at a global biopharma company, leading high-value contracting, budget management, and vendor strategy across preclinical and Phase 1–3 clinical programs. My solutions-focused approach addressed complex contract challenges, improved financial consistency, and enabled data-driven decisions across the full development lifecycle.
Today, I operate as a seamless extension of client teams — supporting operations, finance, R&D, supply chain, and program leadership across clinical-stage biopharma. My work is grounded in a simple belief: organizations achieve their best outcomes when supported with structure, clarity, and dependable partnership.
Organizations achieve their best outcomes when supported with structure, clarity, and dependable partnership.
If vendor contracts, budget discipline, or investor-ready financials are standing between your team and a stronger runway, we're ready to help close that gap.
Founded by Wayne Philp, Softgravity brings over a decade of operational clarity and strategic leadership to clinical-stage biopharma teams.