While big pharmaceutical companies are slashing costs, including spending on experimental drugs, smaller drug-development companies are plowing ahead with research.

That's helping fuel growth for clinical research organizations, which help drug companies research and test new medicines.

Later today, Trio Clinical Research will provide wine and snacks to celebrate. OK, the small party is mostly to mark the official opening of Trio's larger headquarters in Northwest Raleigh. The company moved from smaller digs in Durham.

And with the bigger offices, Trio is expanding. The company, founded in 2003, now has about 50 workers, with plans to add more.