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Our Story

Momentum Pharma was established in 2013 by Melissa and Jon Melton with the aim of bringing a fresh and agile way to partner with Biotech and Pharmaceutical companies. We are passionately driven to work intelligently and as fast as possible to advance the development of new treatments for patients in need.

Our Story is not ours alone. It is shared by our global experts whose commitment to science and doing things right is the key to advancing clinical trials into real treatment options.

Founders

Drawing on 25 years experience in the clinical trial industry, Melissa has worked with many different types of clients/sponsors and across a myriad of therapeutic indications, including extensive program level and clinical management experience in Oncology and Rare Disease.

Jon’s 20 plus-year career in international business and organizational management has helped Momentum Pharma to develop operational strategies with dual operations in the US and UK. Jon’s business development has produced a global reach of activity in almost 50 countries to date.

Together, they founded Momentum Pharma to be a unique alternative to the traditional CRO Model. We are a new era CRO. We present options for flexibility cost, efficiency, and transparency in business, and most importantly, our results are delivered by the highest quality industry experts, who share our philosophy.

Our story has only begun and the ongoing momentum of our company will continue to challenge the clinical research industry to work in ways that are focused on what’s important and partner with some of the best people and companies in the industry to achieve results.

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Our People, Who are They?

Momentum Pharma is a tightly-bound alliance of clinical research consultants encompassing all roles that it takes to conduct a clinical trial. Whether you need a Medical Monitor, Global Project Manager, CRA, CTA, Clinical Trial Manager and the list goes on… Momentum Pharma is held together by a shared vision of quality, reputation, and service. From Australia to Canada and everywhere in between, we can introduce you to a diverse selection of trusted, regional experts.

Our freelance consultants have a proven track record, with in-depth ICH-GCP knowledge gained from an average of 15 years directly working within the clinical trials arena as Physicians, PhDs, Pharmacists, Biotechnicians, Research Nurses, Site Coordinators and more. As such, you can be sure that our consultants know the business and what it takes to provide excellent service for your study.

Our Approach

We take pride in our transparency, and believe that our 100% outsourced model allows us to work with your best interests at heart. By selecting only the services you need, and finding the most suitable freelance consultant to meet your requirements, we reduce costs while improving the outcome of your study.

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Our Vision

The patients and their families who are waiting for life changing treatment needs options and hope. Clinicians who are treating them need answers. Pharma and Biotech need assurance that their trials are conducted to the international standards of excellence.

Study data must be credible and lead to answers based on science. Our Industry must continue to strive towards opportunities for medical breakthroughs. Our vision is to use our momentum to deliver options, hope, answers, assurance, and medical breakthroughs in the most quality driven and efficient, forward-looking ways possible. 

Our Mission

Momentum Pharma is a global family of international, interconnected experts in clinical research. We are held together by a shared responsibility to our industry, to provide the highest caliber of excellence to our clients, sites and vendors. We have a responsibility to improve our industry with our collective knowledge, connections and expertise. 

Our Values

Local Expertise

Are you looking for EU Regulatory submission guidance? A CRA in Australia? A US Project Manager for your Oncology trial? A Rare Disease Medical Monitor in the UK? No matter what the territory or the role, we’ve got you covered with an expert local consultant who has been in the clinical trial industry for a long time and has a proven track record and excellent reputation.

Commitment

Our commitment to you is to listen to what your study requires and partner with you to build an exceptional team that is structured to what your project needs to be.

Efficiency

We scale up and we scale down as your particular project requires, this gives us cost and operational efficiency that is responsive to what is required and delivers exceptional speed, quality and value to you.

Thinking Outside The Box

For any given clinical trial research project, one size does not fit all. We will strategize with you to come up with custom, bespoke solutions that will deliver the results your specific project needs. It’s what new era CRO experts do.

Strategic Thinking

All aspects of a study project require short, medium and long term planning and all of that planning needs to directed by an overall strategy. We help our clients put together a strategy and action plan that covers all stages and we stay with you throughout the lifecycle to ensure that the strategy is adhered to and the objective achieved.

Agility

We understand that things can change quickly mid-project, whether it be top line data results, unexpected DSMB news, the need to increase enrolment etc., all sorts of situations can arise. Our teams are agile, we are with you for the long run and when we need to be flexible we will bend over backwards to accommodate you.

One Team - One Purpose

We are interconnected within the small, big world of clinical research. The relationships we form with our clients, consultants, sites, clinical trial vendors and other stakeholders is all connected by one purpose: the patients. We respect and value of each role in clinical research.

We believe in the power of teamwork between us to obtain scientific answers required to bring a new treatment to market. There is one team and one purpose for Momentum Pharma and it revolves pure and simply around the patient.

Meet the Team

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Melissa Melton - CEO
Melissa Melton
CEO and Founder
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Jon Melton - COO
Jon Melton
COO and Founder
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Matthew Melton - CIO
Matthew Melton
Chief Information Officer
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Dr. Helen Buck
Dr. Helen Buck
Consulting QMS and Risk Manager
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Jarmila Yu - Consulting CMO
Jarmila Yu
Consulting CMO
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Cindy Abbas - Administration Manager
Cindy Abbas
Administration Manager
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Kristina Valenkova - Global Operations Coordinator
Kristina Valenkova
Global Operations Coordinator
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Ellesha Nicholas - Operations Administrator
Ellesha Nicholas
Operations Administrator
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Corporate Responsibility

We have an unwavering commitment to the International Conference on Harmonisation of Good Clinical Practice (ICH-GCP) regulations and principles. Our dedication to ICH-GCP guidelines is not only critical to ensuring the safety of trial participants, but it is also essential to delivering high-quality data that ultimately leads to better outcomes for our sponsors’ trials.

Our team of experienced professionals undergoes regular training to stay up to date with the latest developments in ICH-GCP guidelines. We also conduct thorough risk assessments and implement effective risk management strategies to ensure the safety of trial participants and the integrity of trial data.

We take a proactive approach to quality assurance, with extensive oversight and monitoring to ensure that all aspects of our clinical trials are always conducted to the highest possible standards.

Jarmila Yu

Jarmila Yu is an award-winning globally ranked Top100 Chief Marketing Officer, she is a Chartered Marketer and Fellow of both the Institute of Data and Marketing and the Chartered Institute of Marketing. She has over 25 years of experience working with fast paced pioneering IT and professional services companies, ranging from start-ups to blue chips in B2B and B2C.

Jarmila is an entrepreneurial marketing strategist who has a passion for innovation, and a track record for growing and transforming business through efficient, effective, and impactful marketing. Her role as CMO for Momentum Pharma is to ensure the marketing and brand is fit-for-purpose, enabling the company to deliver on its mission to provide the highest calibre of excellence to support its clients in continuing to make medical breakthroughs that improves the quality of life and saves lives. 

Cindy Abbas

Cindy is Momentum Pharma’s Administration Manager and joined the company in May 2016 where she performs many roles for the firm.  These include corresponding with Sponsors and the Consultants on contractual administration, checking and organising the submission of monthly invoices and expenses of the Consultants.  Cindy is the principal controller for the Momentum Pharma Database.

Cindy started her career in 1989 and has a strong Accounting and Finance background. She has worked for Global Financial companies in a number of roles including; Team Leader in the Accounting Department and Account Manager for a large US based client.

Matthew Melton

Matthew is Momentum Pharma’s Chief Information Officer. He created the bespoke Database and other platforms that the firm uses. Matthew has an engineering and IT background with a broad technical base.

Matthew has worked in the medical device field during his time with a UK engineering company where he programmed the Hardware Control and UI Software design for the NT1000 radio-frequency generator for Thermal Lesioning medical equipment within an ISO 9001:1994 ‘Quality Systems Manufacturing Environment’. 

Matthew’s technical skills include electrical and electronic software engineering, systems design and administration.  He holds a MSc in Computing and a BEng in Electronic Engineering from Cardiff University of Wales. 

Kristina Valenkova

Joined Momentum Pharma in September 2022 as the Global Operations Coordinator. Kristina has a degree in Design and Innovation with a strong background in Information Technology.

Building upon her knowledge and experience, Kristina’s role is to facilitate continual development of Momentum’s operations around the world. Working alongside the CEO and COO to implement corporate strategy, assisting with the design, development and implementation of bespoke Momentum systems. Kristina also develops and maintains direct relationships with Momentum’s clients and consultants.

Ellesha Nicholas

Joined Momentum Pharma in February 2023 as the Operations Administrator. Ellesha’s role is focused on the administrative and operational day-to-day activities of Momentum Pharma.

Ellesha graduated from Harper Adams University with a BSc degree in Animal Behaviour and Welfare and has successfully achieved a Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award in 2015.

Jon Melton

Graduated from the University of East Anglia with a BA Honours degree in Business Studies and his professional career began in the Insurance and Reinsurance industry in April 2000.  

In 2013, Jon co-founded Momentum Pharma where he holds the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Jon’s career in (Re)Insurance has been wide-ranging in terms of activity and territory. He supported clients and sourced business globally at each stage of his career within the 3 largest global broking houses (Willis, Marsh and Aon). 

Jon also has an in-depth experience in Leadership, Project Management and global business transactions.

Melissa Melton

CEO of Momentum Pharma, possesses over 20 years of clinical research and development experience.  During this time, she has worked extensively in the field throughout the US, Canada, UK and Europe (Finland, Sweden, Belgium, Spain, France, Italy and Ireland). 

Melissa is a Senior Clinical Trial Consultant which roles include; Clinical Program Manager, Senior CRA, ICH/GCP Quality Assurance Consultant, and CRO Oversight Lead.  She has worked for global pharmaceutical giants such as: Roche and J&J, as well as CROs and multiple progressive, cutting-edge Biotech firms. 

Her experience is deep in a myriad of therapeutic areas including: adult and paediatric oncology, haematology, cardiovascular, central nervous system, rare genetic disease and more.  Melissa has been instrumental in relationship building with key opinion leaders, increasing global program development and risk assessment. 

During her expansive career, she has worked on multiple FDA/EMA block buster drugs including the first in class anti-retro viral for HIV (Fuzeon) and numerous life changing Oncology drugs (Avastin, Herceptin, Xeloda and Imbruvica).  Melissa holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Arizona.  She understands the Sponsor’s needs implicitly, her speciality is strategic plans of action for global development.

Dr Helen Buck

Dr. Helen Buck is Momentum’s Consulting Quality and Risk Assessment Manager. She brings to the team 25 years of clinical trials industry expertise and has developed the company’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) library, as well as many study plan templates.

Helen has worked on many aspects of clinical trials since starting her Consulting career in 2003 including medical writing and conduct of clinical programmes to ICH GCP guidelines among other roles. Dr. Helen Buck has a PhD in Neuroscience.