Quintiles expands its commercial services footprint

Quintiles has added to its commercial services capabilities in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region through an agreement with UAE-based Dayarn Pharma.

The biopharma services business says it will work with both Dayarn to offer clients contract sales, marketing, and other services in the high-growth MENA region.

James Featherstone, senior vice of commercial services at Quintiles, said it is strengthening in MENA ahead of an anticipated boom in trade over the next coming years.

“The pharma market in MENA is growing at an annual rate of 12 per cent to 15 per cent, with significantly higher growth in the novel, patented product segment.

“There is strong demand for services in the region from our biopharma customers seeking to expand their geographic footprint while minimising risk,” Featherstone said.

Quintiles has already established operations in the area, with joint ventures in both Turkey, in 2007, and Egypt, in 2010.

Commercial services on the up

The news comes days after Quintiles expanded its Asian commercial service and drug development capabilities. New offerings at Quintiles focus on product commercialisation opportunities for customers looking to work within Asia.

Amar Kureishi, chief marketing officer and head of strategic drug development for Quintiles in Asia, said: “Beyond simply helping customers meet their needs in the region, our goals are to help define them.”

The new is in line with the firm’s recent re-focus in the Asia-Pacific region after it off-loaded the last of its external Asian commercial activities Invida, in November.

At the time Charlotte Taylor, corporate communications, Europe, at Quintiles told Outsourcing-Pharma the move was a bid to integrate the clinical and commercial teams more.

She said: “In reality, Invida could have been our delivery models in Asia-Pacific countries. But from a strategic point of view, customers are looking for different things than they used to.

“Before the commercial and clinical teams were very separate, but as health care is changing and more stake holders are involved in decision making our customers are looking for solutions that span both clinical and commercial with a consulting over lay.”