PCI to acquire Australia-based clinical trial services company

The acquisition – PCI’s fifth outside the US in five years – enables it to better support customers from early phases of clinical development to commercial launch, according to the pharmaceutical outsourcing services provider

Melbourne, Australia-based PPP has a focus on early phase development, with services including early clinical phase sterile and non-sterile drug manufacture, packaging and labeling, in addition to logistical services such storage and distribution.

“There’s a lot of Phase I activity in Australia​,” Justin Schroeder, senior executive director, Global Marketing and Design, PCI, told us at the SCOPE Summit this week in Orland, FL, adding that PPP’s services are complementary to PCI's portfolio of clinical and commercial services.

Additionally, access to the Asia Pacific region expands PCI’s footprint in that area, which is a growing part of the clinical trial community for regional investigational site activity, he added.

PCI plans to fully integrate PPP under the PCI pharma Services brand, Schroeder explained. “We anticipate we’ll retain all of the positions​,” he said.

Schroeder added the company is “really focused on growth​” and expects “rapid expansion​.”

Currently, PPP is expanding one of its facilities to up its storage and distribution services and add labeling and packaging rooms, Grade D manufacturing, and sterile-fill manufacturing capabilities for Phase II clinical studies.

In October of 2017, PCI acquired the pharmaceutical and healthcare contract packaging services provider Millmount Healthcare based in Dublin, Ireland. The company has also been investing in site expansions at its US and UK-based locations.