Analytical testing, QC

Icon nabs molecular diagnostic lab to support precision medicine programs

26-Feb-2019 By Melissa Fassbender

Icon acquired the molecular diagnostic laboratory MolecularMD to further support precision medicine programs across all development phases.

Altasciences eyes early development space, CDMO addition

26-Feb-2019 By Melissa Fassbender

Consolidating its businesses under one brand, Altasciences is transitioning to an early drug development CRO – and looking to add a CDMO to manufacture drugs up to Phase II volumes.

Lonza uses its ‘global footprint’ in hematopoietic commercialization agreement

21-Feb-2019 By Maggie Lynch

Lonza enters private label partnership to manufacture and globally commercialize AllCell’s hematopoietic primary cells to provide greater access to researchers.

‘Just a few mouse clicks’: TriNetX offers RWD analytics

21-Feb-2019 By Maggie Lynch

Global health research network, TriNetX, has added an analytic self-service offering for simplified analysis of real-world data.

PPD signs exclusive agreement with China-based AI company

21-Feb-2019 By Melissa Fassbender

PPD’s agreement with China-based Happy Life Tech focuses on site selection, patient recruitment, and real-world evidence generation for customers globally.

LabNetwork reaches European customers through marketplace collaboration

19-Feb-2019 By Maggie Lynch

Chemspace and LabNetwork, both online marketplaces, are to collaborate to extend their global reach in the online marketplace.

SCOPE 2019

Saama adds new AI-based capabilities to its analytics platform

18-Feb-2019 By Melissa Fassbender

Saama Technologies today unveiled three new machine learning-based capabilities, extending the functionality of its life science analytics cloud.

Charles River to acquire Citoxlab, M&A ‘a top priority’

14-Feb-2019 By Melissa Fassbender

Charles River is set to acquire Citoxlab for €448m ($510m) in cash, a deal which would bolster the CRO’s safety assessment portfolio to support its long-term organic growth aspirations, says CEO.

People on the Move: Outsourcing-Pharma roundup January '19

08-Feb-2019 By Melissa Fassbender

People on the move in January include new CEOs at Lonza, Taconic, MaSTherCell, Pii, and Wasdell, among several other c-suite shakeups and new hires as the industry kicks off the New Year.

Exclusive interview

QPS triples translational medicine capacity to support gene therapy demand

05-Feb-2019 By Melissa Fassbender

QPS is expanding ‘aggressively’ at its US-based headquarters, rebuilding on a rolling basis to support a growing demand for gene therapy treatments, says VP.

A Game of Partnerships: How does the BMS-Celgene merger affect the CRO space?

01-Feb-2019 By Melissa Fassbender

CRO stock prices fell initially following the news that Bristol-Myers Squibb was acquiring Celgene in a deal valued at $74bn. However, is 2019’s first mega-merger really a threat to service providers?

Repositive’s ‘personal shopper’ aims to ease access to its cancer models

31-Jan-2019 By Maggie Lynch

Repositive adds a personal shopper service to its platform which holds a directory of cancer models from 14 CROs – with expansion ongoing, says CEO.

Charles River expanding assay lineup via Toxys tie-up

31-Jan-2019 By Melissa Fassbender

Charles River is offering Toxys’ ToxTracker in an agreement that will see its portfolio of genetic toxicology assays expand to customers in North America.

India-based CRO enters US market to support global research

31-Jan-2019 By Melissa Fassbender

Lambda Therapeutic Research is extending its global footprint to the US with the acquisition of Novum Pharmaceutical Research Services, a CRO based in Pittsburgh, PA.

SGS invests £7.6m to up testing capabilities

29-Jan-2019 By Melissa Fassbender

The contract solutions provider today announced that it has invested £7.6m ($9.99m) at its Glasgow, UK-based facility.

Wasdell gets HPRA nod at its new EU headquarters

28-Jan-2019 By Melissa Fassbender

The Wasdell Group’s new EU headquarters in Dundalk, Ireland is set to commence operations later this year as part of the company’s “proactive contingency plan” ahead of Brexit.

Sartorius Stedim BioOutsource adds NBE product characterization to service lineup

24-Jan-2019 By Melissa Fassbender

Sartorius Stedim Biotech’s contract testing subsidiary is adding services offer increased support to clients developing new biological entities.

UK-based CRO launches new kinase compound profiling services

17-Jan-2019 By Melissa Fassbender

Aurelia Bioscience is now offering kinase compound profiling services using Promega’s NanoBRET technology.

Parexel launches dedicated biotech division

08-Jan-2019 By Melissa Fassbender

Parexel Biotech will support emerging companies from development through commercialization with tailored services and customized guidance, says division lead.

AC Immune inks $1.7bn deal with Lilly, strategic partnership with WuXi

03-Jan-2019 By Maggie Lynch

Eli Lilly and Company and AC Immune have signed an agreement for the research and development of tau aggregation inhibitor small molecules, and AC Immune signed a strategic partnership with WuXi biologics.

MilliporeSigma and genOway enter CRISPR collaboration

19-Dec-2018 By Maggie Lynch

genOway has acquired exclusive rights to MilliporeSigma's genome-editing patents to produce and sell new rodent models.

2018 regulatory round-up: Patient safety, data transparency, innovative trial designs

18-Dec-2018 By Melissa Fassbender

Global regulatory agencies had a busy 2018. Here, we take a look back at some of the key developments throughout the year, as the industry navigated challenging politics, pressure to increase transparency, and the rapidly evolving digital health space.

Schrödinger enters three year partnership for TB drug discovery

18-Dec-2018 By Maggie Lynch

The three-year partnership between Schrödinger and TB Alliance will work toward identifying bacterial inhibitors for innovative TB therapies.

SGS invests €3.5m in its French bioanalytical site

13-Dec-2018 By Maggie Lynch

This second phase of the two-phase expansion project will increase the company’s bioanalytical capabilities at the site by 50% when the expansion is complete in 2020.

Biorasi closes PE deal, next stage to be ‘vastly different’ as CRO plans scale-up

13-Dec-2018 By Melissa Fassbender

Biorasi plans to scale several aspects of its global CRO business following a PE investment – and while it does not plan to “buy size,” smaller strategic acquisitions are not out of the question, says company executive.

Smithers Avanza: New lab to support all phases of biotherapeutics development

13-Dec-2018 By Melissa Fassbender

Smithers Avanza’s Bioanalytical Services division is adding 18,500 square feet of laboratory space in New Jersey to support the development of biotherapeutics.

Cambrex continues build-out at former PharmaCore site with $1m investment

11-Dec-2018 By Melissa Fassbender

Cambrex is investing $1m at its High Point, NC-based site, marking the most recent in a series of investments which will see the addition of 1,300 square feet and 15 new employees.

Trianni licenses humanized model platform to MacroGenics for oncology research

10-Dec-2018 By Maggie Lynch

Trianni to provide MacroGenics with humanized mouse model platform for its mAb therapeutics research.

PPD adds biologics testing to GMP lineup in Ireland

06-Dec-2018 By Melissa Fassbender

PPD is adding nearly 6,000 square feet of new lab space – and about 20 employees – dedicated to gene and cell therapy analytical testing at its site in Athlone, Ireland.

People on the Move: Outsourcing-Pharma roundup November ‘18

30-Nov-2018 By Melissa Fassbender

ABL named a successor to its previous CEO, Syneos has two new hires, and BTS Research appointed a VP to push its growth model. These, among other people on the move this month.

CRO sponsoring coworking lab in Boston as area continues to see strong demand for space

29-Nov-2018 By Melissa Fassbender

The CRO Calvert Laboratories is sponsoring a Boston-based coworking launchpad and will provide various services to the lab’s tenants.

Fusion Antibodies collab using AI to generate humanized antibodies

27-Nov-2018 By Maggie Lynch

Fusion Antibodies signed an agreement with Analytics Engines to bring machine learning and AI to its humanization platform in an aim to bolster product quality and manufacturability.

Exclusive interview

QPS expands Ph I capabilities to meet shifting demand, customer base

27-Nov-2018 By Melissa Fassbender

QPS has expanded its Phase I clinical trial capabilities by more than 20% and doubled its lab space, which will allow the CRO to accommodate ‘exponentially more sponsors’ as demand continues to increase.

New AI tech reduces research bottlenecks

21-Nov-2018 By Maggie Lynch

The new technology, Pattern to Knowledge (P2K), reduces “bottlenecks” in drug research by examining bio-sequences in a shorter time frame.

Once significantly behind, China begins to close the drug development gap

20-Nov-2018 By Melissa Fassbender

Moving forward, China will take a more integral role in global drug development, following several regulatory changes designed to accelerate innovation.

Building a 'better' CRO as sponsors drive industry consolidation

20-Nov-2018 By Melissa Fassbender

As sponsors drive CROs to consolidate, building a firm the size of Iqvia would take more than 20 years organically, says consultant – who shares the stuff of nightmares (and dreams).

PE firm brings CROs together, putting assay development and testing under one roof

20-Nov-2018 By Maggie Lynch

The PE firm Ampersand Capital Partners has acquired Pacific Biomarkers and is merging the CRO with Neomed-Labs to streamline clinical immunology development.

AAPS PharmSci 360

AI and computational psychiatry: Finding ‘hidden cues’

16-Nov-2018 By Maggie Lynch

The pharmaceutical industry has increasingly been adopting artificial intelligence – which has demonstrated the ability to predict instances of schizophrenia with 74% accuracy.

Guest column

‘No one ever gets fired for hiring a Top 10 CRO.’ Why?

15-Nov-2018 By Matthew Barrows, senior business consultant

It’s a phrase we’ve all heard a thousand times – often from clients explaining why they didn’t go with your business as they’ve opted for the assumed ‘safe bet’ of a global leader.

Scientist.com to open in Japan after partnering with ‘several’ large pharma firms

15-Nov-2018 By Melissa Fassbender

Scientist.com has more than 70 employees across the globe, with offices in San Diego, Boston, the UK – and soon, Japan, with plans to open several satellite offices across the country.

SGS expands elemental analysis testing capabilities

14-Nov-2018 By Melissa Fassbender

SGS has expanded its Chennai, India-based laboratory with the addition of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry systems to address updated ICH Q3D regulatory guidelines.

Charles River talks M&A on Q3 call: The ‘universe of possibilities is pretty robust’

14-Nov-2018 By Melissa Fassbender

Charles River is eyeing M&A opportunities in every segment of its business, fueled by global market demand and a “fundamental shift” in the pharmaceutical industry, says CEO.

Science Exchange adds ADME/tox services to marketplace

12-Nov-2018 By Maggie Lynch

Science Exchange has entered into an agreement to offer users of its online marketplace access to Corning Life Sciences’ outsourced research services.

UK CRO RxCelerate sets up first US office in Boston

07-Nov-2018 By Melissa Fassbender

RxCelerate is opening its first office in the US to be closer to clients and meet a "huge demand" for drug discovery and development services in the greater Boston area.

People on the Move: Outsourcing-Pharma roundup October '18

02-Nov-2018 By Melissa Fassbender

CROs this month have made significant new hires with WCG adding eight to its scientific leadership team, PPD hiring four, and BioIVT filling its new-created role of CCO.

Also, making the move from Bioclinica, David Kiger has been named...

The top 3 challenges to next-gen processing and how the industry is racing forward

30-Oct-2018 By Melissa Fassbender

Nascent next-generation processing technologies are expected to have a significant effect on how drugs are brought to market – faster and more cost-effectively than ever before, says industry expert.

AAPS PharmSci 360 preview: ‘Small-conference feel and big-conference breadth’

30-Oct-2018 By Melissa Fassbender

AAPS PharmSci 360 is a new conference this year, created in response to a desire for “fresh science,” specifically with chemical and biomolecular components. So what can you expect?

Researchers test ‘the very premise of precision medicine,’ the future of trial design

29-Oct-2018 By Maggie Lynch

A proof-of-concept study using patient-derived cells to test drug response in clinical trials demonstrates the benefits of precision medicine, movement to which is the future of study design, says researcher.

LabCorp expects continued growth from Covance, despite headwinds in 2019

25-Oct-2018 By Melissa Fassbender

LabCorp sees significant opportunity to grow its Covance Drug Development business in the face of a potentially challenging 2019 and is on track to deliver costs savings as part of its LaunchPad initiatives.

UK-based CRO Cresset and Elixir aim to brew new drug discovery platform

18-Oct-2018 By Maggie Lynch

The CRO and software provider for small molecule discovery, Cresset, is collaborating with Elixir to create a new platform for efficient drug discovery.