The cost-effectiveness of both countries and their respective specialisations, such as India’s sponsor friendly regulations and China’s large market, have been cited by the companies as the motivation for the alliance.
By harnessing the respective strengths of each country and company, India-based GVK Biosciences and China-based Excel PharmaStudies believe they can quickly and efficiently move clinical trials from Phase II to IV.
Manni Kantipudi, president of GVK BIO, said: “This is a first of a kind alliance between an Indian contract research organisation (CRO) and a Chinese CRO. The GVK BIO-Excel alliance integrates trial management across India and China and provides sponsors with a single point of contact.”
Under the terms of agreement GVK BIO and Excel will assist sponsors with Phase II to IV trials, statistical analysis and medical writing.
The arrangement between the two companies is that any of GVK BIO’s trials that take place in China will be carried out by Excel and managed by the Indian company. Similarly, Excel will manage its trials in India and they will be performed by GVK BIO.
GVK looks beyond borders
GVK BIO’s alliance with Excel comes three weeks after it gained approval from the Turkish Ministry of Health to conduct bioequivalence studies, which opens up the country’s generic drug market to the Indian CRO.
Having gained approval GVK BIO will be able to conduct bioequivalence studies at its clinical pharmacology sites in Hyderabad, India for clients looking to market generic drugs in Turkey.