Ethica CRO
Expertise
Innovation
Industry
Pharmaceuticals
Introduction
Ethica CRO, a pioneering contract research organization in Canada, was repeatedly selected for SR&ED audits by the CRA—even though their claims remained technically sound. Over 10 years, nine of their filings were under scrutiny, consuming executive time and creating uncertainty. Partnering with Ayming changed their audit experience: we crafted a thoughtful strategy that restored their relationship with CRA, streamlined claims, and allowed leadership to refocus on core business operations.
The Challenge
Ethica had built a strong scientific and clinical reputation, but their SR&ED process was under continuous audit pressure. Their earlier consulting firms had been unable to break the audit cycle: despite no material errors, CRA kept triggering reviews, often dragging on. This created a burden on internal teams, stretched timelines, and added administrative complexity. Ethica needed a trusted partner who could help them address audit risks proactively, avoid further disruptions, and bring clarity and certainty to their SR&ED claims.
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Over 10 years, 9 of Ethica CRO’s SR&ED claims were selected for audit by the CRA.
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Despite consistently successful claims, these repeated audits demanded excessive executive time and disrupted operations—without uncovering any substantive errors.
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Their previous consultants had failed to break the audit cycle, and a backlog persisted
The Approach
Ayming applied a rigorous, auditable process to resolve this challenge:
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Audit history analysis & CRA insight gathering
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Requested internal CRA working papers via access-to-information requests to understand CRA’s rationale and audit patterns.
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Reviewed Ethica’s past SR&ED submissions in depth, comparing them to CRA expectations.
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Strategic audit engagement & negotiation
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Opened direct dialogue with CRA to present concerns about excessive audit frequency.
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Framed audit review scopes in a collaborative way, agreeing to contained reviews with clear boundaries and timelines.
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Documentation alignment & claim packaging
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Organized and structured evidence to align with CRA’s guidelines, ensuring every claim tied back to explicit technological uncertainties.
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Assisted Ethica in preparing precisely focused responses to CRA requests and coordinating on-site review follow-ups.
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Process optimization & ongoing claim strategy
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Adjusted internal procedures and reporting practices to reduce future audit risk.
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Ensured that subsequent SR&ED filings adhered to a stronger, audit-aware framework to prevent recurrence.
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Key Figures
audit success rate, with claims accepted and disputes resolved.
years of funding continuity safeguarded through stronger processes and improved CRA relations.
in innovation funding secured over the partnership.
The Impact
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90%+ success rate: the audit was completed efficiently and within agreed parameters, and subsequent claims were accepted as filed.
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Reduced audit burden: Ethica escaped the recurring audit cycle that had consumed leadership time for a decade.
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Stronger CRA relationship: audit frequency has dropped significantly and Ethica’s standing with CRA improved.
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Empowered internal processes: streamlined workflows, better documentation, and audit-resilient approach for future SR&ED claims.
About Ethica CRO
Ethica CRO Inc. is a full-service Contract Research Organization (CRO) that conducts and manages ethical clinical research on drugs, biologics, medical devices and natural health products.
