Clinphone heads down under

As the Asia-Pacific continues to be a hotspot for clinical trials activity, e-clinical provider ClinPhone has opened its first office in the region in the hope of gaining a head start.

From the new premises in Melbourne, Australia, the firm will provide support to its existing Australian clientele as well as develop new business both within the country and the wider Asian markets.

Although still relatively small on a global scale, the pharmaceutical market is extremely innovative, particularly in the biotechnology arena, and Australia in particular has a number of centres of excellence in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane.

In addition, the region is proving popular due to its lower cost base than in Europe and the US.

"There is a huge market potential in the Asia-Pacific region both in the long and short-term," said Kevin Wightman, Business Development Director at ClinPhone.

"The new offices will provide the perfect opportunity to establish our presence in the growing regions of Asia."

ClinPhone said it already works with a number of Japanese companies in both the US and European markets and now also hopes to "build on these foundations to develop more effective relationships with the Japanese head offices through our new presence in the region."

As the e-Clinical market gains momentum, ClinPhone has already been expanding its presence across the US over the last year, opening new offices in California and North Carolina, as well as enlargening existing facilities in Chicago and New Jersey.