Belgian CRO genae opens Swiss office to expand European reach
The medical device focused contract research organization (CRO) - a privately owned offshoot of genae - is headquartered in Antwerp, Belgium, and this news announces a second European location for the firm.
According to CEO Bart Segers, the new site will organise clinical trials and research projects for clients, and will employ between five and ten full time staff members in the next few years.
“[The office] can act as intermediate and provide consultancy within the medical sector,” he told Outsourcing-Pharma.com. Furthermore, “because of its mixed status as an operational and holding company, it may acquire, hold and manage participations in other entities.”
Located in Zurich, the second site is “ideally located,” according to Segers, due to the “clinical site proximity, both in Switzerland and abroad.”
Mid-sized CROs
Whilst the larger players in the outsourcing industry offer both a vast number of therapeutic areas and physical locations, the smaller firms are - according to some experts, such as Parexel’s Christian Buhlmann - being forced to adapt either through merging or by offering niche services.
However, we asked Segers if this was the case for genae and how his firm dealt with the rise of multinational CROs.
“Genae differentiates itself by focusing on medical devices,” he said. “We collaborate with other CRO’s and ARO’s who appreciate this clear focus.”
Back in October the firm signed an agreement with Yale University’s Cardiovascular Research Group in order to cross-market platforms, share facilities and staff, and sharing and subcontracting monitoring regulatory, safety, core laboratory, data management and statistical analysis services.
