Clearstone expands Toronto site but is closing NJ lab

The New Jersey site mainly performs esoteric testing and by expanding the Toronto laboratory Clearstone will be able to consolidate without losing capacity or capabilities, Lammert Albers, vice president, global business development at Clearstone, told Outsourcing-Pharma.

Clearstone will wind down operations at the New Jersey site over the next six months. Closure of the site will result in “a few job losses​” but Clearstone is aiming to retain and relocate some employees, added Albers.

Following closure of the New Jersey laboratory Clearstone will transfer remaining studies to its site in Toronto. Adding safety, esoteric and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) testing, as well as flow cytometry, will allow Clearstone to cope with the transfer and meet client needs.

Albers added that there are more changes and developments in the pipeline at Clearstone.

Eli Lilly deal​

Clearstone went through a lull between MDS announcing the sale and completion of the transaction, said Albers, adding that “it was a tough time​”.

Customers remained positive and supportive though and Clearstone is now seeing a resumption of relationships and the creation of new business, according to Albers.

Activity includes a deal with Eli Lilly. Clearstone is providing Lilly with services from its site in Beijing, China which has been expanded by adding the Affymetrix DMET system to support the deal

The Beijing site was occupied just prior to the Olympics in 2008 and has five times more capacity than the previous site.