Continuing its expansion in China, Parexel has added sites in Chengdu and Guangzhou, building its presence in the country. Parexel first established operations in China approximately 15 years ago and has added to this as pharma’s interest in outsourcing to the country has grown.
Primary drivers of this are the commonly cited benefits of a large patient population, cost effective environment and expanding medical infrastructure, according to Josef von Rickenbach, CEO of Parexel.
These characteristics can help clients lower development costs, accelerate patient recruitment and reach market sooner. Furthermore, Rickenbach explained that “a high prevalence of certain cancers, diabetes and other diseases in China can benefit from more extensive clinical research”.
In addition to the new sites, Parexel has offices on Beijing, Shanghai and Kowloon, Hong Kong. The contract research organisation’s (CRO) presence in Asia Pacific extends into Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.
Parexel believes its experience of operating in Asia Pacific helps it assess diverse patient populations, navigate regulatory issues, identify investigators and ensure data quality.
Top 10
Earlier this month the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP) delivered its annual report, ranking Parexel as one of the top 10 outsourcing companies for the pharma.
The other companies in the pharma industry top 10 are Corbus, CPA Global, Intelligroup, Johnson Controls, Jones Lang LaSalle, Nair & Co, Synygy, TEKsystems Global Services and Wicresoft.