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About Us
SVG Pharma is an Australian Contract Research Organisation established in 2020, specialising as an Australian CRO in medicinal cannabis clinical research. We support sponsors across Phase I–IV programs through disciplined study design, operational execution, and regulatory alignment, with a focus on ethically governed and methodologically sound clinical data.
Our Approach
SVG Pharma delivers structured clinical research services across the full trial lifecycle, from feasibility and protocol development through to trial execution, analysis, and reporting.
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We work with sponsors in therapeutic areas where regulatory expectations, evidence pathways, and clinical precedent may still be evolving. Our role is to bring clarity, structure, and operational discipline to complex clinical programs, ensuring studies are clinically meaningful, compliant, and well governed.
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Our approach is defined by:
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Translating complex scientific concepts into clinically meaningful study designs
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Navigating Australian regulatory and ethics frameworks
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Delivering operationally robust, ethically governed clinical programs
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Supporting the generation of credible, reproducible clinical data
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We work closely with sponsors, investigators, and specialist advisors to ensure each program is appropriately scoped, governed, and delivered.
Leadership Team
Richard Palesh
Research Director
Richard Palesh brings extensive operational, regulatory, and clinical governance experience across Australia's regulated therapeutics sector. His background spans GCP-compliant clinical trial delivery, regulatory and ethics navigation, controlled-substance frameworks, and quality system oversight.
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Richard has built and governed high-compliance operational environments within Australia's controlled-substance pharmaceutical sector, including federally licensed medicinal cannabis operations where he secured ODC cultivation and manufacturing licences and supported the achievement of TGA GMP certification for licensed facilities
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At SVG Pharma, Richard oversees research operations, clinical trial delivery, and regulatory coordination. He leads protocol development, TGA and HREC submission coordination, and GCP compliance oversight—working closely with Principal Investigators to ensure studies are operationally sound, ethically aligned, and appropriately governed.
Dr. Chris Schneider, MD, FRACP
Clinical Director
Dr Chris Schneider is an AHPRA-registered Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist with experience across clinical practice, academic medicine, and clinical research. His areas of focus include inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, hepatology, the gut microbiome, and emerging therapeutic approaches to gastrointestinal disease.
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Dr Schneider has held academic roles in gastroenterology, including university-affiliated clinical and research appointments. He has served as Principal Investigator on clinical trials and contributed to peer-reviewed publications in gastroenterology and therapeutic research. He has also contributed to the development of innovative microbiome-based therapies, including the establishment of a hospital-based faecal microbiota transplant (FMT) program.
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Dr Schneider maintains active clinical practice in Australia, ensuring his research leadership remains grounded in contemporary clinical care.
SVG Pharma’s leadership is supported by a multidisciplinary network of clinical operations specialists, biostatisticians, data managers, and regulatory consultants. Team structures are scaled to program requirements, with defined roles, reporting lines, and governance frameworks supporting accountable clinical delivery.
Our Values
Quality & Compliance
Quality and compliance underpin every study delivered by SVG Pharma.
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We operate under documented quality management systems aligned with Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and Australian regulatory requirements. Programs are delivered with defined governance structures, clear accountability, and rigorous oversight throughout the study lifecycle.​