The facility – which will be led by Dr. Benno Ingelse, an industry expert with more than 15 years of (bio)analytical experience -- will have bioanalytical testing capabilities and will provide a European facility for Quintiles customers looking to conduct pharmacokinetics studies.
As part of Quintiles’ bioanalytical and ADME laboratory services group, the Oss lab has been fully integrated with Quintiles’ other lab in Ithaca, New York, which allows for the transfer of assays back and forth between the labs. In addition, the new EU facility will become part of the JV with Quest once that transaction closes, which is expected to occur in Q3 of 2015.
Costa Panagos, SVP and global head of Global Central Laboratories at Quintiles, who will also serve as the new JV’s CEO, told Outsourcing-Pharma.com that the opening of the lab comes after a series of conversations with sponsors who were looking for a high-quality lab in the EU, particularly for those clients looking to keep their samples in the region.
“The Oss laboratory will further enhance the scale, clinical trial expertise and diverse therapeutic experience that will be a cornerstone of the proposed joint venture with Quest Diagnostics,” Panagos said, adding that the lab will also work in tandem with Quintiles’ Phase I unit in London when bioanalytical testing services are needed.
Currently, Quintiles’ bioanalytical and ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion) capabilities and work are managed out of three lab sites in the US.
“In terms of demand, we definitely have customers [in the EU] asking for more expertise in small molecule LC-MS,” Panagos added.