Industry organizations with hires, promotions, acquisitions and other news to share this month include Parexel, Novartis, WCG, Idifarma and more.
Industry organizations with hires, promotions, acquisitions and other news to share this month include Parexel, Novartis, WCG, Idifarma and more.
Global contract research organization (CRO) Parexel has named Clare Grace to the newly created position of chief patient officer. According to the company, the appointment reflects its intent to underscore the importance of keeping patients as the central focus of all clinical trial activity.
“I am thrilled to join Parexel and to continue to champion the company’s patient focus to ultimately improve clinical trials and accelerate the delivery of new therapies for patients around the world,” Grace said. “I look forward to working closely with our sites and technology partners to improve the patient experience and to further infuse the patient perspective across all studies and further enhance our ability to deliver innovative clinical trial solutions that meet our customers’ needs.”
Pharmaceutical firm Novartis has entered an agreement to acquire Cadent Therapeutics, a neuroscience company. The acquisition will add two clinical-stage programs to Novartis’s neuroscience portfolio (one for schizophrenia, another for movement disorders) and includes a buyout of milestones and royalties for MIJ821, a clinical stage molecule that Novartis had licensed from Cadent in 2015.
“We are committed to changing the lives of patients suffering from serious neuropsychiatric disorders for which there are limited treatment options,” said Jay Bradner, president of the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR). “The Cadent acquisition follows a longstanding collaboration and shared ambition to bring forward novel neuropsychiatric medicines targeted at the root cause of disease.”
Clinical services and IRB firm WCG has acquired Trifecta, a company providing a range of trial technology solutions. Its offerings include the InvestigatorSpace site communication platform, virtual training programs and safety documentation services.
“With a host of services that fully integrate clinical trial training and communication, from safety letter notification to regulatory document exchange, Trifecta adds another dimension to WCG’s compelling value proposition,” said Donald Deieso, WCG’s executive chair and CEO. “This acquisition is part of our effort to pursue strategic opportunities that allow us to expand and enhance our offerings in anticipation of our customers’ needs.”
Specialty logistics firm Marken has launched two new regional facilities. The Kiev, Ukraine pharmaceutical depot will enable clients in the region to store trial drugs and supplies closer to their patients; the Los Angeles GMP depot and apheresis kit-building facility will enable the company to better meet clients’ storage and cell/gene needs.
Marken president Ariette van Strien said, “Ukraine continues to be important in Eastern Europe's clinical trial market and our Kiev depot will strengthen our position in the region. Our Los Angeles depot will allow our US demand to be served on the West Coast and supplement our Philadelphia depot on the east coast."
Spain-based contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) Idifarma will partner with Stefano Console of life-sciences consultancy Oriento SA. Console will serve as scientific advisor for the firm, focusing upon spray-drying technology and particle engineering.
Idifarma’s head of site Alfredo Gómez said, “This partnership will bring together Stefano's knowledge and experience in particle engineering, particularly in amorphous solid dispersions and dry powders for inhalation, and Idifarma's highly skilled staff and specialised capabilities to better serve and grow our client base and strengthen our position as one of the leading providers of spray drying services for niche and potent drugs.”
Speciality CRO Phastar has joined forces with and received funding from Charterhouse Capital Partners, a European private equity firm. The funding will be used to fuel the CRO’s growth in biometrics as well as plans for geographic expansion.
“Phastar’s partnership with Charterhouse is a significant next step in our planned growth strategy,” said Phastar CEO Kevin Kane. “With a new office opening in China our global footprint will widen to include the UK, Europe, Africa, the US and Asia, giving us an opportunity to better serve our clients anywhere in the world.”
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of American (PhRMA) has named Eli Lilly chair and CEO David Ricks as the organization’s new board chair. He succeeds Giovanni Caforio, chair and CEO of Bristol Myers Squibb, in the role.
"Our companies and their scientists have moved with speed and collaborated like never before to develop and now launch therapeutics and vaccines which will allow more people to survive and avoid COVID-19 infections," said Ricks. "We are committed to harnessing that same scientific capability to conquer the scourges of cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's and other chronic diseases, while bringing the same collaborative spirit to the policy table in 2021 to solve the inequity and unfairness due to expanding out-of-pocket costs for American families and seniors in our health care system."
Packaging specialist Tjoapack has announced a €10m ($12.3m USD) investment into its packaging and supply chain facility in Etten-Leur, Netherlands over the next two years. The company plans to use the funds to increase the footprint to 11,500 square meters (about 123,785 square feet), and add eight production lines to bring capacity for primary packaging for oral solids to more than 4bn tablets annually.
Additionally, the company plans to invest in warehousing and cold chain capabilities to meet increased customer demand for its added value logistics services. “This latest investment is driven by growing industry demand for our high-quality services and is the latest stage in our ambitious growth plans,” said CEO Dexter Tjoa.
Clinical trial technology company CluePoints has opened a new office in Tokyo. The location will be dedicated to serving clients in Japan, and to expand the firm’s reach to new clients in the region.
Patrick Hughes, CluePoints cofounder and chief commercial officer, said, “As the appetite for modern risk reduction techniques continues to grow, the new office will provide dedicated operational support and resources to both new and existing clients in the region, opening new partnership possibilities and expansion of existing collaborations.”
Science informatics solutions firm Dotmatics has appointed Matt Burnett chief technology officer. In his new role, Burnett will oversee the company’s technical roadmap, global cloud and IT operations, and technology execution.
Burnett, who has 25 years of CTO experience across various sectors, said, “On my technology journey I have always looked for challenges that will make a difference to people’s lives, and so I feel very fortunate to have joined Dotmatics – accelerating research and innovation. I look forward to working with the exceptional talent at Dotmatics, helping to change our world for the better.”