The unit, which is located at a preclinical toxicology facility in neighbouring Evansville, will be moved the 200 miles north to a larger site at the Purdue Research Park in a relocation expected to create as many as seven new jobs.
BASi said the move is designed to help it keep pace with growing pharmaceutical sector demand for in vivo discovery services.
John Devine, recently appointed as BASi’ vice president of non-clinical services, will oversee the move. CEO Anthony Chilton said: “John has successfully developed the toxicology service at Evansville consistently growing the business year by year.”
“John’s focus on customers and his commitment to drive sales have contributed to the success of our contract research services.”
BASi first noted an increase in demand earlier this year when it reported that revenue from its services division, which includes the in vivo discovery unit, increased 20.1 per cent in the nine months to June 30 to $19m (€m)
At the time it said that the growth was “mainly due to increases in new bookings and volumes of studies as well as number of samples to assay. We have also recently launched our Enhanced Drug Discovery services which have contributed to the revenue increase.”
Wider expansion
BASi, which will fund the reorganisation with the proceeds of a $5.5m (€4m) offering it made in May, has also renovated the Evansville preclinical toxicology unit and installed new laboratory equipment to provide “scientists with more flexibility with space for multiple studies.”
The new equipment includes a new triple quad mass spectrometry system which, in addition to Evansville, has also have been installed at BASi’s units in West Lafayette, McMinnville in Oregon and Warwickshire in the UK.