Under the deal, the firm – which provides services from Phase I to IV – will also provide access to research participants for Quintiles.
Comprehensive has two early-phase clinics one in Washington State and one in Florida, as well as late-phase sites in Atlanta, GA - Washington DC, St. Petersburg, FL - Queens NY and Cerritos, CA.
The firm joins a small group of other providers afforded the same status by Quintiles and is the first non-academic organisation to be included on the list.
Jack McGovern, Comprehensive’s CEO said: “We look forward to sharing in their continued success as we address the industry’s demand to streamline clinical research and provide new drugs to patients faster.”
Patients the prime motivation
Quintiles has been steadily expanding its prime site network since establishing its first unit in London in 2007.
Since then the firm has forged linked with clinical sites in North America, Africa and Asia, the latter being through its 2010 partnership with the University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) in Malaysia and the Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH) in the Korean capital.
The firm describes prime sites as as clinical institutions with which it collaborates with to “drive productivity and excellence in clinical research.”
The CRO claims the approach – which involves the provision of dedicated resources to the clinical research facility – aids recruitment and helps it meet deadlines.
For example, a clinical research facility within Queen Mary, University of London selected as a prime site in 2008 had – according to Quintiles - recruited more than 10 per cent of UK patients that it enrolled in studies.
Quintiles also claims that the prime sites give it more study options, again citing the London example. "Investigators at Queen Mary work on at least 20 studies at any one time, across multiple therapeutic areas, with best in class start-up timelines."