Contract research news in brief
pharmafile | September 22, 2009 | News story | Research and Development |Â Â CROÂ
Pharmafocus' periodic round-up of developments in the contract research sector includes an acquisition and alliance for BioClinica, accreditations for ICON labs and expansions in Asia for PPD and LAB Research.
US contract research organisation BioClinica has acquired software company Tourtellotte Solutions, which specialises in interactive voice response and web response (IVR/IWR) and clinical supply chain platforms, for $2.1 million in cash upfront and up to $3.2 million, plus BioClinica shares, in performance related payments.
The deal is yet another example of consolidation in the CRO sector as companies strive to build comprehensive service portfolios in an increasingly competitive market. Tourtellotte's revenues were $3.9 million last year and are tipped to reach $5 million in 2009.
Meanwhile, BioClinica has announced a strategic alliance with MMS Holdings of the US to enhance its presence in electronic data capture (EDC) for phase I to IV clinical testing. MMS provides statistical, programming, and medical writing services that are complementary to BioClinica's EDC platform and should speed up the preparation of reports and submissions based on clinical data.
Irish CRO ICON plc has won accreditation for three of its laboratories that serve customers in the pharmaceutical development arena. The company's bioanalytical lab in Manchester, UK, has been certified by the national regulator as compliant with Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) standards, while its clinical pathology lab in the same city has achieved GCP accreditation.
Meanwhile, ICON's central laboratory in Singapore has been endorsed by the US National Glycohemoglobin Standardisation Programme (NGSP), which develops standards for diabetes testing. The new lab will be integrated into the firm's existing network of NGSP -certified labs in Ireland, the USA and India.
PPD Inc has officially opened a central laboratory facility in Singapore, its second in Asia, as the US CRO continues to address the fast-growing emerging pharmaceutical markets in the continent.
PPD already operates central labs in Beijing, China, Brussels in Belgium and Kentucky in the US, and said the new facility will provide an identical suite of analytical services and be linked into its global Connexion database network, making it easier for clients to organise large-scale, international studies.
The aim is to assist local biopharmaceutical players with the drug development projects, as well as multinational pharmaceutical firms with operations in the region, said PPD.
Canada's LAB Research, a specialist in non-clinical research services, has expanded its business in Korea via an agreement with Safe Chemicals, a South Korea-based consulting company.
Safe Chemicals will be the exclusive representative for LAB Research's chemical and agrochemical services, and will act for the company's pharmaceutical division on a non-exclusive basis. LAB Research firm has had non-exclusive representation from Eastern Trading in Korea since 2006. The Canadian firm said the agency model had served it well in Japan.
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