Phlexglobal continues US expansion; opens new office in Philadelphia

11-May-2011 - Last updated on 12-May-2011 at 10:36 GMT

Phlexglobal, a contract research organisation (CRO) specialising in trial master file (TMF) and eTMF management, has expanded its US operations with the opening of an office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The UK-based company said the new 800 sq. metre east coast premises will help further expand all aspects of its TMF services, including its proprietary PhlexEview eTMF solution, which enables electronic searching and viewing of TMF documentation.

The office will create 50 jobs and house a secure record centre for the storage of clients’ live TMF documents, as well as providing PhlexGlobal with a base of operations for its resource solution task force.

Phlexglobal already maintains an office in Carlsbad, California, which it claims has seen an “exponential demand for its services across the North American territory.”

Stella Donoghue, Phlexglobal’s managing director, said it was an exciting time for the company as it sought to build on the success of its Californian operation.

“The launch of a second office only a year after arriving in the US signals how rapidly Phlexglobal has established itself as a major player in the North American market,” she said.

“The launch of a second office coupled with the recent MBO will provide a valuable platform for the company to move into new markets including Asia-Pacific, while still maintaining a strong presence in the UK and North America.”

Management buyout

The opening of Phlexglobal’s Philadelphia office comes less than a month after UK-based private equity firm, Inflexion, conducted a management buyout (MBO) of the company, which has helped expedite the expansion of its clinical trial support services, and the release of version 3 of PhlexEview.

As a result of the buyout the company experienced a number of changes at boardroom level, including the introduction of former Wyeth Laboratories managing director, Kevin James, as chairman.

Upon his appointment, James said the company aimed to capitalise on the industry trend towards eTMF implementation.

“There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the eTMF uptake will follow that trend set by electronic data capture (EDC), which is now used for the majority of clinical trials,” he said.

“PhlexGlobal, with its unique software and service model, will remain at the forefront of this evolving part of the market.”