The 110 bed, three ward unit, which will focus on conducting early-stage safety trials in health volunteers, boosts existing local capacity and is in the ideal location according to contract research organization (CRO).
“Ahmedabad was the most preferred and logical destination for expansion considering the volunteer pool accessibility and proximity to about 10 CROs and leading Pharma companies.”
Faster recruitment
GVK also said that, while a wide range of early-phase clinical trials will be carried out, one focus of the unit will be to increase the participation of women in research through the provision of dedicated “special housing facilities for female volunteers.”
Company president Manni Kantipudi said: “The opening of the new GVK BIO Clinical Pharmacology unit reflects our commitment to offer faster recruitment solutions to our customers,” and added that the first trial has already started.
Patient recruitment has been something of a focus for GVK so far in 2010, beginning in January when it became the latest member of the ResearchPoint Global Network (RGN)
At the time, Kantipudi explained that one of the benefits of the move was that the firm’s “existing clients will benefit from our ability to recruit patients across multiple geographies through RPG.”
Ahmedabad good for trials
GVK is not the only CRO to be drawn to Ahmedabad in recent times. Earlier this month for example US firm Kendle unveiled plans to set up a major new facility in the region.
Speaking to Outsourcing-pharma at the time Bharat Doshi, senior director of South-East Asia and India at Kendle, said that the large number of skilled researchers as well as the region’s status as a specialial economic zone were particularly attractive.