To enhance service offerings throughout Europe, Quintiles Transnational Corp. announced the opening of an expanded regional facility near Edinburgh, Scotland. The purpose-built facility consolidates three buildings into a single state-of-the-art complex.

Located within the Alba Campus, a research and development center near Edinburgh, the 115,000-square-foot (10,350 square meters) building hosts more than 500 employees and has space for Quintiles' Clinical Development Services, including Project Management, Regulatory Affairs and Data Management. The facility is BREEAM (BRE Environmental Assessment Method) certified for sustainable design and low environmental impact.

The focal point of the new facility is an 80,000-square-foot (7,200 square meters) Central Laboratory that more than doubles previous capacity and allows higher throughput of clinical trial materials, including the ability to process up to three times more kits per day. Strategically located to serve the entire European region, on-site lab services include chemistry, hematology, urinalysis, serology markers, coagulation, specimen management, endocrinology and biomarkers.

"Every aspect of the building was designed to handle projects with the greatest accuracy, speed and efficiency - delivering high quality consistently to our customers," said Tom Wollman, Senior Vice President, Global Central Laboratories. "We have the latest technology and equipment, testing standards, practices and capabilities. This allows Quintiles to anticipate and meet customer needs and safeguard patient data."

Capitalizing on scientific advances, the facility houses one of Quintiles' three Assay Development Labs, specializing in technical transfer of methods and assays, and validation of commercial instruments and assays for research.

Graham Murray, Vice President, Global Central Laboratories, and Edinburgh site head, said: "For customers and employees this is truly a world-class facility. We can improve service delivery to our customers and have enhanced the work environment of our employees, who offer professional expertise in multiple therapeutic areas and provide proactive service for clinical development."

Including the new Scotland facility, Quintiles has the largest central laboratory network in the world accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP), with sites in Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Japan, South Africa, the United States, and Singapore - which will relocate to a new facility later this year.

By performing key central lab functions on five continents, Quintiles decreases transportation costs, reduces concerns about import/export permits, provides local investigator site support and enhances sample stability.

"We offer an unsurpassed combination of global resources, state-of-the-art buildings and equipment, staff experience and expertise, and high-quality, accurate service," Wollman said. "As the pharmaceutical industry adapts to a changing environment, Quintiles is well-positioned to remain a provider of choice for laboratory services."

Source
Quintiles