Citoxlab: Expansion necessary as 'large pharma outsources more and more'

06-Nov-2017 - Last updated on 06-Nov-2017 at 22:42 GMT

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Citoxlab Group has acquired Xenometrics, a non-clinical contract research organization (CRO), as client requests continue to increase, says company president.

Xenometrics is an American non-clinical contract research organization (CRO) based in Kansas City, Kansas. The acquisition marks Citoxlab’s third in North America following its acquisition of the LAB Research Group in 2011 and Accellab in 2016.

Additionally, last month, the non-clinical contract research organization (CRO) purchased a new facility in Montreal, Canada, a move that added 20,000 square feet of laboratory space.

“As a CRO, the more services we offer from more centers in more countries, the more solutions offered to our clients,” Jean-François Le Bigot, president of Citoxlab Group told Outsourcig-Pharma.com.

With its acquisition of Xenometrics – terms of which were not disclosed – the company gains access to the CRO’s services across safety, pharmacology, and pharmacokinetics, and its staff of around 100 people. The purchase also expands Citoxlab’s foothold in North America.

“78% of the clients of our Laval/Montreal hub in Canada, are from the USA,” said Le Bigot. “So, with our new Kansas City center, a city easy to reach from anywhere in the US, some clients may be interested in initiating projects there for better proximity.”

The proximity to its US clients was a key decision factor in acquiring Xenometrics, Le Bigot explained.

“Reciprocally, many current customers of Xenometrics may be interested in gaining access to services available at our Montreal center or even in Europe, for example, long term studies, studies which need experimental surgery or irradiation, bioanalysis/biomarkers services,” he added.

Le Bigot said that the company will invest in new companies because “we value them as relevant assets,” he said, “and in our industry, assets means scientific expertise and teams.”

As such, Citoxlab’s goal is to optimize the combination of the respective expertise and teams, he explained. “This is also the sharing of best practices and validated scientific methods, which is very important to me,” Le Bigot added.

'More projects under development'

Citoxlab needed additional capacity to meet the growing needs of its client portfolio – and a strong CRO market, said Le Bigot. In addition to the capacity increase in Kansas City, he said the company plans to continue increasing its capacity and capabilities at both sites in Montreal and in Kansas City, citing recent acquisition of a facility in Montreal.

“We also invest in Europe, of course, and we started this month in November to build additional facilities at our historical center in Evreux, France, which remains our HQ,” he explained.

“This expansion is necessary because the requests from our clients continue to increase, large pharma companies outsource more and more, most of them having decided to discontinue performing GLP studies internally, and biotech companies have more financial resources available and consequently more projects under development.”