Preclinical CRO Porsolt expands in France, US
The CRO has started construction of a new laboratory on a 10-hectare development in Laval, France. The first phase of the operation will see a 60,000 square foot facility completed in early 2010. The new site will offer increased capacity for Porsolt's expanding cross-therapeutic area models and Good Laboratory Practices safety pharmacology expertise, according to the firm.
Porsolt’s chief executive, Mark Duxon, said the decision follows a period of good growth in 2008, and a growing awareness of the firm’s “cross-therapeutic area expertise,” which he believes has set the firm up for “sustained growth in the next five to 10 years.”
Porsolt has remained very focused on its core expertise – preclinical pharmacology – at a time when many CROs have pursued a strategy of broadening their service range in the hope of winning lucrative ‘preferred provider’ contracts.
The French CRO believes that concentrating on two core services - assessing novel substances for therapeutic activity and safety using animal models – is a more reliable model. The company has long argued that the best strategy is not to strive to become the biggest CRO, but to remain the best in selected areas of competence.
Stateside presence
While the company is happy to remain a specialist service provider, it is keen to expand its geographic presence and has implemented a project to spearhead an expansion in the US.
Porsolt has hired two experienced PhD biologists from Big Pharma who will be permanently based in the USA to conduct business development support in that country.
The headcount in the US business development group will be further increased - in line with expansion of the company - in 2009 and 2010, the CRO noted. Porsolt already has a team of five business development staff located in Paris, France.
Martine Lemaire, senior director and head of business development, commented: "as our laboratory services grow and as we implement a new expansion strategy, we feel it is essential to have experienced personnel based in the US to offer direct face-to-face client interaction. “
