The expansion is designed to mirror Harlan's contract breeding service capabilities already established in the UK, which include rederivation, cryopreservation, revitalization, colony management, contract breeding and quarantine services.
The enhanced facility includes dedicated areas for quarantine to reduce the transmission of pathogens between animal colonies and also features an expanded and updated health monitoring laboratory. In addition, Harlan Laboratories incorporated the LabTracks software system, by Locus Technology, Inc., which provides a fully integrated animal husbandry network that supports real-time inventory data, records on cryopreserved materials, as well as information on cage capacity and the health status of animals within the facility.
Harlan spokesman Michael Clark could not provide Outsourcing-Pharma.com with specifics on the new expansion but told us that "the employee base will grow commensurate with the growth of the business."
The Netherlands-based company’s European operations include four facilities in the UK, three in Italy, two in Spain, two in Switzerland, one in Germany and one in France.
"Expanding our facility in Southern Europe is a significant part of our global growth strategy to provide pharmaceutical and biotech companies throughout Europe with the highest quality services that support their research models," Joe Meyer, VP of global commercial operations, said.
The Southern European facility expansion also comes on the heels of Harlan’s recent doubling of isolators its facilities in Indianapolis, Indiana and Livermore, California. The company also has 12 other sites in North America.
These expansions also come as Harlan’s preclinical unit is working to help EU labs develop alternatives to animal testing.