Agilux has doubled the size of its animal housing unit at the laboratory in Worcester, Massachusetts in a move that CEO - Jim Jersey - claimed allows the contract research organisation (CRO) to conduct research on a broader range of animal species.
"Investing in the current and future growth of this facility and our in vivo capabilities ensures that we can continue to service existing and prospective clients in the fastest, most flexible and efficient manner possible."
"The iterative nature of in vivo pharmacokinetic screening requires rapid cycle times with turn-on-a-dime changes in priorities. This important expansion will help us support our clients' demands, while allowing for the continuance of rapid study initiations that are a hallmark of Agilux's in vivo capabilities."
Prior to the expansion, the Worcester site – which was accredited by the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) in November last year – focused on the provision of in vivo pharmacokinetic services using rodent and non-rodent species.
News of the investment comes just weeks after the preclinical CRO hired Geeta Sharma as its new senor director of pharmacology, whom it tasked with expanding its cancer drug discover offering.
It also comes just a few months after Agilux bought two AB SCIEX Triple Quad 6500 LC-MS/MS Systems in a move it said would “enhance the range of LC-MS/MS capabilities for its clients’ discovery and development programs.”
The rapid expansion of Agilux service offering since its formation in 2007 is an indication of both the competitive nature of the bioanalysis sector and of growing drug industry demand for techniques that make the discovery process more efficient.